Retrospective Analysis of Diseases in a Cohort of Late Preterm Infants

Rationale. In the conditions of perinatal centers, the routing of pregnant women with obstetric and somatic pathologies leads to the birth of a significant number of late premature newborns, which make a high contribution to the incidence of respiratory and cerebral pathologies.

Purpose of the study — to analyze respiratory and cerebral morbidity and therapy in late preterm infants.

Materials and methods. А retrospective analysis of a cohort of late preterm infants (GA 34⁰–36⁶ weeks) born within 12 months of 2020. The study involved 508 newborns. Retrospective analysis of the incidence of a cohort of late preterm infants (GA 34⁰–36⁶ weeks) born during the 12 months of 2020. The study involved 508 newborns.

Results. The study showed that late premature infants account for more than 10 % of all newborns and 66 % of the number of premature infants born in the perinatal center and are characterized by high morbidity. The main nosologies were identified: hyperbilirubinemia — up to 67 %; cerebral ischemia — up to 55 %; intraventricular hemorrhage — up to 18 % respiratory distress syndrome and transient tachypnea of newborns — about 46 %; congenital infection — 12 %; congenital heart defects — about 10 %. More than half of the children received of respiratory therapy and a quarter of newborns received antibacterial therapy. About 40 % of patients were hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit, and about 80 % in the neonatal pathology unit. The median total duration of hospitalization in the perinatal center was 13 [9.7; 19.0] days.

Conclusion. The study revealed data on the high frequency of respiratory pathology (up to half of the cases) and cerebral pathology (more than 50 %), congenital infection (up to 12 %), the need for respiratory therapy (in more than half of the children) and prolonged hospitalization with a median of 13 days in late premature infants.

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