Differences in Mortality between Late-Preterm and Term Singleton Infants in the United States, 1995–2002
Received 26 December 2006; received in revised form 10 April 2007 and 1 May 2007 published online 28 July 2007.
Refers to article:
Morbidity and Mortality in Late-Preterm Infants: More than Just Transient Tachypnea!
Lucky Jain
The Journal of Pediatrics
November 2007 (Vol. 151, Issue 5, Pages 445-446) Full Text |
Full-Text PDF (57 KB)
Objective
To assess differences in mortality between late-preterm (34-36 weeks) and term (37-41 weeks) infants.
Study design
We used US period-linked birth/infant death files for 1995 to 2002 to compare overall and cause-specific early-neonatal, late-neonatal, postneonatal, and infant mortality rates between singleton late-preterm infants and term infants.
Results
Significant declines in mortality rates were observed for late-preterm and term infants at all age-at-death categories, except the late-neonatal period. Despite the decline in rates since 1995, infant mortality rates in 2002 were 3 times higher in late-preterm infants than term infants (7.9 versus 2.4 deaths per 1000 live births); early, late, and postneonatal rates were 6, 3, and 2 times higher, respectively. During infancy, late-preterm infants were approximately 4 times more likely than term infants to die of congenital malformations (leading cause), newborn bacterial sepsis, and complications of placenta, cord, and membranes. Early-neonatal cause-specific mortality rates were most disparate, especially deaths caused by atelectasis, maternal complications of pregnancy, and congenital malformations.
Conclusions
Late-preterm infants have higher mortality rates than term infants throughout infancy. Our findings may be used to guide obstetrical and pediatric decision-making.
⁎From the Maternal and Infant Health Branch, Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
†March of Dimes Perinatal Data Center, White Plains, New York
‡Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.
Reprint requests: Kay Marie Tomashek, MD, MPH, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dengue Branch, 1324 Calle Cañada; Mailstop P-0, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00920.
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the affiliated agencies.
ABSTRACT