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Duration of hospitalization in extremely preterm infants
Author(s) -
YU V. Y. H.,
SHAH V.,
GOMEZ J. M.,
McCLOUD P. I.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.1991.tb00379.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pediatrics , gestational age , gestation , full term , pregnancy , biology , genetics
This study reports the age at hospital discharge of 233 survivors and age at death of 209 infants who were born at 23‐28 weeks gestation over a 10 year period, 1977‐86. The mean duration of hospitalization of survivors was 95 days and was inversely related to maturity at birth; those born at 23‐25 weeks remained in hospital on average 1‐2 weeks beyond term while those born at 26‐28 weeks went home on average at term or 1 week before term. The mean age at death was 12 days: 53% within 1 day, 23% between 2 and 7 days, 15% between 8 and 28 days and 9% between 28 days and 1 year. The proportions of death in the post‐neonatal period for infants born at 23‐24 weeks, 25‐26 weeks and 27‐28 weeks were 2, 9 and 16% respectively. There was no significant trend in prolonged hospitalization of survivors or postponement of neonatal deaths to the post‐neonatal period over the 1977‐86 period. Nevertheless, both neonatal and post‐neonatal mortality should continually be monitored in this extremely preterm group.