PURPOSE: As the neonatal intensive care advanced, the survival rate of the very low birth weight infant (VLBWI) has steadily increased. We evaluated the outcome of VLBWIs who were born at Samsung Cheil Hospital. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted for survival, morbidities and developmental outcome on 114 VLBWIs out of total 17, 720 newborn infants who were born between January 1st, 2000 and December 31st, 2001. RESULTS: The incidence of VLBWI was 0.6%. Overall survival rate of VLBWI was 92.1%. All the Infants less than 500 g died, but the survival rate increased as birth weight increased. The survival rate was 75% for infants 500 g to 749 g, 85% for those 750 g to 999 g, 93.3% for those 1, 000 g to 1, 249 g, 98.1% for those 1, 250 g to 1, 499 g. The survival rates by gestational age also increased from 0 in those of 23-24 weeks to 80% in 25-26 weeks, 87.0% in 27-28 weeks, and up to 98.7% in those 29 weeks or more. Common morbidities in VLBWIs included respiratory distress syndrome (43.9%), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (21.9%), retinopathy of prematurity (> or = stage II+, 12.3%), necrotizing enterocolitis (7%), intraventricular hemorrhage (> or =grade III, 4.4%) in the order of frequency. Bayley Scales of Infant Development II (BSID II) were performed on 38 VLBWIs. 9 (23.7%) of those tested showed delayed development, and 4 (10.5%) of whom were significantly delayed. CONCLUSION: 92.1% of VLBWIs survived. Survival rates increased as birth weight and gestational age increased. More efforts are needed to improve the long term outcome by reducing common morbidities.
Birth Weight ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; Child ; Child Development ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Gestational Age ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant* ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight* ; Intensive Care, Neonatal ; Retinopathy of Prematurity ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Weights and Measures