OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To study the association of different stages of histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) with the incidence rate and severity of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants. METHODS: Related data were collected from the infants and their mothers who were treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, Qingdao University, from January 2018 to June 2020. According to the presence or absence of HCA and its stage, the infants were divided into four groups: control ( RESULTS: Compared with the control and late-stage HCA groups, the early-stage HCA group had a significantly lower incidence rate of placental abruption and a significantly higher rate of prenatal use of antibiotics ( CONCLUSIONS Early-, middle-, and late-stage HCA can reduce the incidence rate of RDS in preterm infants. HCA stage may not be correlated with RDS severity in preterm infants, which needs to be verified by further research.
Birth Weight ; Child ; Chorioamnionitis/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/etiology*

To analyze clinical characteristics and risk factors of very low birth weight and extremely low birth weight infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). A retrospective epidemiological study was performed in 768 neonates (376 males) with birth weights<1 500 g and gestational age ≤ 34 weeks who survived ≥28 days. Clinical data were obtained from the multi-center clinical database of neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in 19 hospitals of Jiangsu Province between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017. These infants were divided into non-BPD group and BPD group according to BPD diagnositic criteria. Clinical features and potential risk factors were compared between groups with Chi-square test or nonparametric test. Risk factors for BPD were analyzed with Logistic regression analysis. Among the total of 768 eligible neonates, 577 without BPD, 191 with BPD (24.9%). Mild, moderate and severe BPD accounted for 73.3% (140/191), 23.6% (45/191) and 3.1% (6/191) of all BPD cases respectively. There were significant differences in the average gestational age (29 (28, 30) 30 (29, 31) weeks) or the average birth weight (1 170 (990, 1 300) 1 300 (1 160, 1 400) g) between BPD group and non-BPD group (-9.959,-7.202, both 0.000). The incidences of BPD in the infants with gestational age of<28 weeks, 28-31 weeks and 32-34 weeks were 51.7% (46/89), 24.8% (139/561), 5.1% (6/118) respectively. The incidences of BPD in infants with birth weigh1 000 g, 1 000- 1 249 g and 1 250-1 500 g were 62.3% (48/77), 25.9% (70/270) and 17.3% (73/421) respectively. Proportion of male (55.5% (106/191) 46.8% (270/577)), rate and length of conventional mechanical ventilation (48.7% (93/191) 14.9% (86/577), 120 (72, 259) 80 (29, 144)h), initial inhaled oxygen concentration and maximum inhaled oxygen concentration (0.35 (0.30, 0.40) 0.30(0.25, 0.40), 0.40 (0.30, 0.50) 0.30 (0.30, 0.40)) and volume of red blood cell transfusion (53(30, 90) .38(28, 55) ml) were higher in BPD group than in non-BPD group (χ(2)=4.350, 91.640, -3.557, -2.848, -3.776, -4.677, all 0.05). Rate of continuous positive airway pressure (12.6%(24/191) 19.4%(112/577)) during neonatal resuscitation in delivery room was lower in BPD group than that in non-BPD group (χ(2)=4.614, 0.032). The incidences of complications in BPD group including severe asphyxia, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS), persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN), patent ductus arteriosus, anemia of prematurity, early onset sepsis, clinical sepsis and ventilator associated pneumonia were higher than that in non-BPD group (15.2%(29/191) 4.5% (26/577), 91.1% (174/191) 56.7% (327/577), 2.6% (5/191) 0.2% (1/577), 43.5% (83/191) 34.2% (197/577), 88.0% (168/191) 58.8% (339/577), 15.7% (30/191) 9.9% (57/577), 42.9% (82/191) 18.6% (107/577), 14.1% (27/191) 2.3% (13/577); χ(2)=24.605, 74.993, 9.167, 5.373, 61.866, 4.557, 43.149, 34.315, all 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that NRDS (4.651, 95: 1.860-11.625), clinical sepsis (1.989, 95: 1.067-3.708), ventilator associated pneumonia (3.155, 95: 1.060-9.388), conventional mechanical ventilation (2.298, 95: 1.152-4.586), and volume of red blood cell transfusion (1.013, 95: 1.002-1.024) were risk factors of BPD. BPD is more common in very low birth weight infants of male with gestational age less than 32 weeks. Using CPAP in the delivery room, active treatment of NRDS, preventing nosocomial infection, and reducing invasive ventilation and red blood cell transfusion may decrease the incidence of BPD.
Birth Weight ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; complications ; epidemiology ; pathology ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Male ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo investigate the short-term clinical outcomes of neonates of secundiparous mothers, and to provide a reference for the clinical practice after the change in birth policy.

METHODSA cohort study was performed for the parturients and their neonates born in Yongkang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital in Zhejiang, China between June 2015 and April 2016. According to the parity of the mother, the neonates were divided into primiparous group and secundiparous group. The short-term clinical outcomes of neonates were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSA total of 4 091 neonates who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled, and there were 2 023 neonates in the primiparous group and 2 068 in the secundiparous group. In the secundiparous group, most mothers (57.16%) were aged 26-34 years, and 16.49% were aged above 35 years. Compared with the primiparous group, the secundiparous group had a significantly higher rate of births by cesarean section (42.55% vs 25.06%; P<0.05). The percentages of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS; 8.6% vs 3.4%) and transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTN; 7.2% vs 2.6%; P<0.05) in hospitalized neonates from the secundiparous group were significantly higher than in those from the primiparous group.

CONCLUSIONSElderly parturient women are not the major population of secundiparous parturients. The neonates of secundiparous mothers have a higher rate of births by cesarean section, which might be associated with increased percentages of NRDS and TTN in hospitalized neonates from the secundiparous mothers.

Adult ; Cesarean Section ; statistics & numerical data ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Parity ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; epidemiology ; Tachypnea ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome (PIH) on complications in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants.

METHODSThe VLBW preterm infants were enrolled as research subjects, and according to the presence or absence of PIH in their mothers, they were divided into PIH group and non- PIH group. The incidence of major complications and length of hospital stay were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences between the two groups in gestational age, birth weight, sex, incidence rate of maternal diabetes, and use of antepartum hormone. The PIH group had a significantly higher rate of birth of small-for-gestational-age infants than the non-PIH group. The PIH group had a significantly lower incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) than the non-PIH group, while there were no significant differences between the two groups in the incidence rates of apnea of prematurity, necrotizing enterocolitis, retinopathy of prematurity, and intraventricular hemorrhage-periventricular leukomalacia, and the length of hospital stay. There was no significant difference in the incidence rate of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome between the two groups, but the PIH group had a significantly lower proportion of infants who used pulmonary surfactant than the non-PIH group.

CONCLUSIONSPIH can alleviate respiratory complications and reduce the use of pulmonary surfactant and the incidence rate of BPD in preterm infants.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced ; Incidence ; Infant, Premature ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Pregnancy ; Pulmonary Surfactants ; therapeutic use ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo explore the high-risk factors and analyze the clinical characteristics of massive pulmonary hemorrhage (MPH) in infants with extremely low birth weight (ELBW).

METHODSTwo hundred and eleven ELBW infants were included in this study. Thirty-five ELBW infants who were diagnosed with MPH were labelled as the MPH group, and 176 ELBW infants without pulmonary hemorrhage were labelled as the control group. The differences in clinical characteristics, mortality rate, and incidence of complications between the two groups were analysed. The high-risk factors for MPH were identified by multiple logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSThe MPH group had significantly lower gestational age, birth weight, and 5-minute Apgar score than the control group (P<0.05). The MPH group had significantly higher rates of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), early-onset sepsis (EOS), intracranial hemorrhage, pulmonary surfactant utilization, and death compared with the control group (P<0.01). The multiple logistic regression analysis showed that 5-minute Apgar score was a protective factor for MPH (OR=0.666, P<0.05), and that PDA and EOS were risk factors for MPH (OR=3.717, 3.276 respectively; P<0.01). In the infants who were discharged normally, the MPH group had a longer duration of auxiliary ventilation and a higher incidence rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) compared with the control group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSA higher 5-minute Apgar score is associated a decreased risk for MPH, and the prensence of PDA or EOS is associated an increased risk for MPH in ELBW infants. ELBW infants with MPH have a prolonged mechanical ventilation, a higher mortality, and higher incidence rates of VAP and intracranial hemorrhage compared with those without pulmonary hemorrhage.

Female ; Hemorrhage ; etiology ; Humans ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Logistic Models ; Lung Diseases ; etiology ; Male ; Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated ; epidemiology ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors

INTRODUCTIONLate preterm (LP) neonates (34 to 36 weeks gestation) are often managed like term neonates though current literature has identified them to have greater complications. The primary objective of our study was to evaluate and compare morbidity and resource utilisation in LPs especially in view of paucity of Asian studies in this regard.

MATERIALS AND METHODSA retrospective audit was carried out on 12,459 neonates born in KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKWCH). The chief outcome measures were hypoglycaemia, hypothermia, respiratory morbidity, feeding problems and neonatal jaundice. Resource utilisation included neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, parenteral nutrition and length of hospitalisation.

RESULTSOf 12,459 deliveries, 1221 (10%) were LP deliveries with a significantly increasing trend of 8.6% to 10% from 2002 to 2008 (P = 0.001). Neonatal morbidity in the form of hypoglycaemia (34 weeks vs 35 to 36 weeks vs term: 26% vs 16% vs 1%); hypothermia (5% vs 1.7% vs 0.2%); feeding difficulties (30% vs 9% vs 1.4%); respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (4% vs 1% vs 0.1%); transient tachypnea of the newborn (TTNB) (23% vs 8% vs 3%) and neonatal jaundice (NNJ) needing phototherapy (63% vs 24% vs 8%), were significantly different between the 3 groups, with highest incidence in 34-week-old infants. Resource utilisation including intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV) (15% vs 3.5% vs 1%), total parenteral nutrition/intravenous (TPN/IV) (53% vs 17% vs 3%) and length of stay (14 ± 22 days vs 4 ± 4.7 days vs 2.6 ± 3.9 days) was also significantly higher (P <0.001) in LPs.

CONCLUSIONLP neonates had significantly higher morbidity and resource utilisation compared to term infants. Among the LP group, 34-week-old infants had greater complications compared to infants born at 35 to 36 weeks.

Clinical Audit ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; epidemiology ; Hypothermia ; epidemiology ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; utilization ; Intermittent Positive-Pressure Ventilation ; utilization ; Jaundice, Neonatal ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Length of Stay ; statistics & numerical data ; Male ; Parenteral Nutrition ; utilization ; Parenteral Nutrition, Total ; utilization ; Phototherapy ; Premature Birth ; epidemiology ; Respiration, Artificial ; utilization ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn ; epidemiology

Conflicting results on the influences of histologic chorioamnionitis (HC) on neonatal morbidities might be partly originated from using different definition of HC. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between HC and neonatal morbidities using definition of HC that reflects the site and extent of inflammation. This was a retrospective cohort study of 261 very low birth weight (VLBW) infants admitted at a tertiary academic center. Based on the site of inflammation, HC was categorized: any HC; amnionitis; funisitis; amnionitis+funisitis. The extent of inflammation in each site was reflected by sub-defining high grade (HG). The incidences of morbidities in infants with and without HC were compared. The bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) rate was significantly higher in infants with amnionitis and the severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) rate was significantly higher in infants with any HC and funisitis. After adjustment for both gestational age and birth weight, the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) rate was significantly lower in infants with all categories of HC except for HG amnionitis and HG funisitis, which are not associated with lower RDS rate. HG amnionitis was significantly associated with increased BPD rate but the association of HC with severe ROP disappeared. In conclusion, HC is significantly associated with decreased RDS and HG amnionitis with increased BPD while lacking association with other neonatal morbidities in VLBW infants. The association with HC and neonatal morbidities differs by the site and extent of chorioamnionitis.
Adult ; Birth Weight ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/complications/*epidemiology ; Chorioamnionitis/classification/*epidemiology/pathology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; *Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Neutrophil Infiltration/immunology ; Placenta/pathology ; Pre-Eclampsia/*epidemiology/pathology ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/complications/*epidemiology ; Retinopathy of Prematurity/complications/*epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers

OBJECTIVETo study the relationship between Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) infection in the lower respiratory tract and the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

METHODSSeventy-three VLBW infants diagnosed with neonatal RDS, who had received at least one dose of pulmonary surfactant, as well as mechanical ventilation, and were hospitalized for over 28 days, were recruited. Endotracheal aspirates were obtained from the lower respiratory tract and examined by real-time PCR to detect UU DNA. The infants were divided into UU infection and non-UU infection groups according to examination results. Clinical characteristics and the incidence of BPD were compared between the two groups.

RESULTSCompared with the non-UU infection group, the UU infection group had a higher rate of maternal vaginal delivery, higher incidence of recurrent nosocomial pulmonary infection and premature rupture of membranes (PROM), and longer durations of PROM, oxygen supplementation, and hospital stay; in addition, the UU infection group had higher plasma IgM level, leukocyte count, and neutrophil count within 3 hours after birth. Among 73 VLBW infants, 45 developed BPD; the incidence of BPD in the UU infection group was 90% (19/21), versus 50% (26/52) in the non-UU infection group (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSUU infection in the lower respiratory tract increases the incidence of BPD in VLBW infants with RDS.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight ; Male ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; complications ; Ureaplasma Infections ; complications ; Ureaplasma urealyticum

OBJECTIVETo investigate the survival rate, complications during hospitalization, and prognostic factors in extremely preterm infants (gestational age less than 28 weeks) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed on 90 extremely preterm infants who were admitted to the NICU between January 2011 and March 2013 to investigate the perinatal data, delivery and resuscitation, ventilation/oxygen supply during hospitalization, mortality, and the incidence of severe (grade III/IV) intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), and septicemia.

RESULTSAmong the 90 extremely preterm infants, the gestational age, birth weight, overall survival rate, mortality, and withdrawal rate were 26±1 weeks, 898±165 g, 57%, 9%, and 34%, respectively. The incidence rates of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, BPD, PDA, ROP, and grade III/IV IVH were 88%, 85%, 69%, 68%, and 31%, respectively. The surviving infants had a mean length of hospital stay of 83±18 days and a mean weight at discharge of 2 419±300 g. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that grade III/IV IVH and pulmonary hemorrhage were high-risk factors for death or withdrawal, while antenatal corticosteroids were the protective factor for outcome (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe survival rate of extremely preterm infants is still much lower than that in developed countries. grade III/IV IVH, and pulmonary hemorrhage are important prognostic factors.

Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia ; epidemiology ; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant Mortality ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Prognosis ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn ; epidemiology ; Retinopathy of Prematurity ; epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate