Neonatal Outcome of Extremely Small Low Birth weight Liveborn Infants Below 901 g in a Swedish Population

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Abstract
In a regional population of 32120 liveborn newborn infants 65 (0.2%) had a birthweight ≤900 g (extremely small low birthweight = ESLBW) with mean gestational age 26.4 (range 22–31) completed weeks of gestation. The total 0–1 year survival rate was 48%. For the 42 infants treated in the Level III regional neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) the 0–1 year survival rate was 55% versus 34% for 23 infants not transferred to the Level III unit. In the ESLBW infants treated in the regional NICU the major complications were respiratory disorders requiring artificial ventilation (73%), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (26%), intracranial haemorrhages (40%), symptomatic persistent ductus arteriosus (36%) and sepsis (14%), persistent retinopathy of prematurity (8%). Duration of NICU treatment was 51 days (range 10–95) for survivors. Mode of delivery and rate of perinatal complications did not differ between survivors and non‐survivors. Previous legal abortion occurred in 24%, fertility problems in 29% and 21% of the mothers, were immigrants. Otherwise no significant abnormalities were found in maternal or socioeconomic conditions. Factors deciding neonatal outcome in the tiniest babies seem to be a combination of prenatal circumstances and neonatal minute fine care procedures.