Trends in care practices, morbidity, and mortality of extremely preterm Neonates, 1993-2012

Abstract

IMPORTANCE Extremely preterm infants contribute disproportionately to neonatal morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE To review 20-year trends in maternal/neonatal care, complications, and mortality among extremely preterm infants born at Neonatal Research Network centers. DESIGN, SETTING,PARTICIPANTS Prospectiveregistryof34 636infants,22 to 28 weeks'gestation, birth weight of 401 to 1500 g, and born at 26 network centers between 1993 and 2012. EXPOSURES Extremely preterm birth. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Maternal/neonatal care, morbidities, and survival. Major morbidities, reported for infants who survived more than 12 hours, were severe necrotizing enterocolitis, infection, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, severe intracranial hemorrhage, cystic periventricular leukomalacia, and/or severe retinopathy of prematurity. Regression models assessed yearly changes and were adjusted for study center, race/ethnicity, gestational age, birth weight for gestational age, and sex. RESULTS Use of antenatal corticosteroids increased from 1993 to 2012 (24%[348 of 1431 infants]) to 87%(1674 of 1919 infants]; P