A "natural experiment" regarding the mortality of very low birth weight infants

Neonatal Mortality of Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Although the infant mortality rate in Louisiana has decreased, Louisiana still has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the nation. Two-thirds of the infant deaths occur in the neonatal period (birth through 28 days of age). The primary factor associated with death in the neonatal period is low birth weight. However, the likelihood of survival for low birth weight infants can be influen...

Hospital mortality of very low birth weight newborn infants.

Frequency of Thyroid Function Disorders among a Population of Very-Low-Birth-Weight Premature Infants

Background: Thyroid function disorders, particularly congenital hypothyroidism (CHT), are important endocrine dysfunctions associated with permanent morbidities. CHT is more prevalent among preterm low-birth-weight neonates compared to term infants with normal weight. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted on 126 very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) neonates referred to the neonatal inten...

Assessing mortality risk in very low birth weight infants.

INTRODUCTION Preterm birth is the most important univariant risk factor of neonatal mortality. Assessment of risk factors affecting mortality in preterm infants with very low birth weight is important for the treatment of this highly vulnerable population. OBJECTIVE Detection of risk factors for neonatal mortality in very low birth weight premature infants. METHODS The current study was con...

Nutrition of very low birth-weight infants

Background Numerous studies have underlined the importance of early feeding on shortand long-term development of very low birth-weight (VLBW) neonates [1,2]. Nutrition of preterm infants may be divided in two subsequent periods: the early adaptive or “transition” period from birth to the second week of life followed by the “stable-growing” period up to discharge from the neonatal unit. Dependin...