Health status of a population of infants born before 26 weeks gestation derived from routine data collected between 21 and 27 months post-delivery

• Published in: Early human development Vol. 55; no. 1; pp. 9 - 18
• Main Authors: Bohin, S, Draper, E.S, Field, D.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01-05-1999; New York,NY Elsevier; Amsterdam
• Subjects: Analysis. Health state; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral Palsy - etiology; Cohort Studies; Data Collection - methods; Developmental Disabilities - etiology; Epidemiology; Epilepsy - etiology; Female; General aspects; Gestational Age; Health Status; Hearing Loss, Functional - etiology; High-risk infants; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature - growth & development; Intensive Care, Neonatal - statistics & numerical data; Later health status; Medical sciences; Neonatal intensive care; Oxygen Inhalation Therapy; Premature infants; Public health information; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Retrospective Studies; Retrospective study; United Kingdom; Vision Disorders - etiology; Neonatal intensive care; Retrospective study; Premature infants; High-risk infants; Later health status; Public health information; Human; Pregnancy; Premature; Health status; Mortality; Risk factor; Infant; Public health
• ISSN: 0378-3782; 1872-6232
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-3782(99)00003-1

This retrospective study was designed: (a) to determine the extent to which routine data sources in the UK can provide data relating to the later health status of selected groups of infants; and (b) to use such an approach to describe the outcome of a geographically defined population of infants born before 26 weeks gestation. All infants of less than 26 weeks gestation admitted for neonatal intensive care during the period 1/1/91 and 31/12/93 whose mother's address at the time of birth was within the boundaries of the Trent Health Region were included. Health status was assessed against a previously described simple scheme and using information from existing sources only. During the 3-year period 249 infants of less than 26 weeks gestation were admitted for intensive care. Of these 66 (26.5%) survived to be discharged from the neonatal service. A further seven infants died before the age of 2 years. Of the remaining 59 four were lost to follow up (three could not be traced; one was living abroad). Of the 55 infants reviewed, 36 demonstrated no features, pre-defined in the classification scheme, of severe disability. However, only 30 children appeared to be considered entirely normal.
Conclusion: Infants born before 26 weeks gestation and admitted for neonatal intensive care had, approximately, a 12% chance of normal survival to 2 years. A slightly smaller proportion of infants survived with significant disability. Existing routine data sources could be adapted to provide useful public health information about the outcome of `high risk' groups of infants.