All issues > Volume 25(12); 1982

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1982;25(12):1197-1202. Published online December 31, 1982.

Clinical Observation for Prematurity and Low Birth Weight Infant.

Kyung Nam Kim¹, Jong Wan Kim¹, Kyoo Hong Cho¹, Young Heon Kwak¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Catholic Medical College，Seoul，Korea

Abstract

Infants who are delivered prior to the term are subject to various disorders which complicate their neonatal course. Neonatal mortality rises progressively with increasing degrees of prematurity. We attempted to know the incidence of birth rate and mortality rate for prematurity and low birth weight infants who were delivered at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, Catholic Medical College located in Bupyung Dong, Incheon during the 2 years from January, 1979 to December, 1980. The results were as follows; 1) Incidence of prematurity was 6.9% and low birth weight infant was 10.1%. In incidence by sex, male exceeded the female in prematurity and female exceeded the male in. low birth weight infant. 2) Incidence of prematurity and low birth weight infant by maternal age was most prevalent among mothers under 20 years and over 36 years, and the incidence by parity was higher in primiparity than in multiparity. 3) Causative disease of mother who delivered prematurity or low birth weight infant was in. order of multiple pregnancy, toxemia, syphilis, premature rupture of membrane and plancenta previa. 4) The initial weight loss was appeared on average 4.5th day after delivery with total weight loss 139.6gm and average weight loss was 33. 0 gm/day and average weight gain was 24.9 gm/day. 5) Neonatal mortality rate of prematurity and low birth weight infant by birth weight and gestational period was lower in the group of higher birth weight infant and more prolonged gestational period, but mortality rate was high if the gestational age was over 40 weeks.

Keywords :Prematurity and Low birth weight intant; clinical study