Association between hypothermia and mortality rate of premature infants - revisited

Article Abstract:

The relationship between hypothermia (body temperature less than 35 degrees Centigrade measured in the armpit) and survival of premature infants was investigated in a study of 559 very-low-birth-weight babies (less than 1,500 grams, or 3.3 pounds). One purpose of the study was to evaluate whether hypothermia at the time of admission to the neonatal intensive care unit reflects the quality of care the infant has received. The subjects were further divided into three groups: (1) weight 750 to 999 grams (128 infants); (2) 1,000 to 1,249 grams (172 infants); and (3) 1,250 to 1,500 grams (259 infants). They entered the neonatal intensive care unit of one medical facility from either the delivery room of the same facility (inborn infants) or from other facilities (outborn); infants more than 12 hours old when they were transported were not included. Results showed that group 1 infants had the lowest temperatures when they arrived in the intensive care unit, regardless of whether they were in- or outborn. No differences in hypothermia were found between inborn and outborn babies. Group 1 had the greatest proportion of infants with hypothermia (23 percent), while only 6 percent of group 3 infants developed it. Hypothermia was more common among group 2 and 3 nonsurvivors than survivors, but in group 1, survivors and nonsurvivors had approximately the same incidence of hypothermia. Thus, it does not appear that body temperature on admission to the neonatal intensive care unit has a cause-and-effect relationship with mortality, since survival was not related to hypothermia for the lightest infants. While an association was found for the larger infants, caution should be exercised in attributing the infant's outcome to body temperature when admitted to the intensive care unit. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Complications and side effects, Physiological aspects, Hypothermia

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Neonatal survival and disability rate at age 18 months for infants born between 23 and 28 weeks of gestation

Article Abstract:

Greater numbers of very premature infants may be surviving, with most survivors developing normally. Researchers followed up 465 infants born between 23 and 28 weeks of pregnancy from 1987 to 1992. Older gestational age was associated with a greater chance of survival, but survival rates increased over the study period for all gestational ages. A total of 254 infants survived until hospital discharge, and 217 of these were followed up at 18 months of age. Seventy percent of the surviving infants exhibited normal development at 18 months. Surfactant use increased survival. Improvements in medical care for premature infants may increase survival without increasing the rate of disability, although the absolute number of disabled children may increase.

Gestational age

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Defining limits of survival: lethal pulmonary hypoplasia after midtrimester premature rupture of membranes

Article Abstract:

Age of the fetus and the length of time amniotic fluid levels are low appear to be important factors that predict fetal survival after premature membrane rupture. A total of 115 pregnancies with membrane rupture during the second trimester were evaluated weekly by ultrasound to determine factors for fetal survival. About 87% of the fetuses younger than 25 weeks at membrane rupture that had severely low levels of amniotic fluid for more than 14 days died. Factors not associated with survival included number of fetal arm and body movements, breath rates, and ratio of chest to abdomen measurements.

Premature rupture of membranes, Premature rupture of the membrane

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