In the United States, an increase in the number of births of extremely preterm infants and in their survival potential has occurred over the last decade. Determining the survival prognosis for the infant of a pregnancy with threatened preterm delivery between 22 and 25 completed weeks of gestation remains problematic. Many physicians and families encounter the difficulty of making decisions reg...

Sixteen to 98% of extremely preterm infants are treated for hypotension within the first week of life. The enormous variation in this estimate is due to a lack of reliable evidence. While selecting a vasoactive agent, it is necessary to consider the goals of the therapy. To achieve those goals, the clinician must assess the mechanisms of action of the potential therapies. This chapter details t...

The anticipated delivery of an extremely low gestational age infant raises difficult questions for all involved, including whether to initiate resuscitation after delivery. Each institution caring for women at risk of delivering extremely preterm infants should provide comprehensive and consistent guidelines for antenatal counseling. Parents should be provided the most accurate prognosis possib...

Background: Preterm birth is a major contributor to neonatal and under-five mortality, and births at lower gestational ages (GA) contribute more to these statistics. Most developed countries have succeeded in improving survival at extremes of GA, while most developing countries like Nigeria still lag behind. The objective of this retrospective study was to document the...

AIM To assess academic attainment and special educational needs (SEN) in extremely preterm children in middle childhood. METHODS Of 307 extremely preterm (< or =25 weeks) survivors born in the UK and Ireland in 1995, 219 (71%) were re-assessed at 11 years of age and compared to 153 classmates born at term, using standardised tests of cognitive ability and academic attainment and teacher repor...

This study assessed the impact of extremely preterm birth on academic attainment at 11 years of age, investigated neuropsychological antecedents of attainment in reading and mathematics, and examined early predictors of educational outcomes. Children born extremely preterm had significantly poorer academic attainment and a higher prevalence of learning difficulties than their term peers. Genera...