Clinical study of infants with birth weight less than 1500 grams

One hundred and seventy-seven infants of birth weight less than 1500 grams admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Mackay Memorial Hospital in 1987 were studied. The sex distribution, male to female ratio was 100:77, inborn 78 cases, outborn 99 cases. At one year follow-up, the mortality rate of these weighed between 500 gm and 799 gm was 100%, between 800 gm and 999 gm 54%, between 1000 gm and 1249 gm 17%, between 1250 gm and 1499 gm 19% respectively. The mortality rate of outborns was higher than that of inborns (X2 = 6.03, P < .05). The most common cause of mortality of these infants was intracranial hemorrhage, it accounts for 55% of the mortality. Seventy-three percent of the deceased cases expired during the first three hospitalization days. Of these 177 cases, 94 were put on respirator with IPPB initially, another 47 cases were on nasal CPAP. Only 36 cases didn't require respiratory therapy. Complications of the extreme prematurity and management including intraventricular hemorrhage, pulmonary hemorrhage, sepsis, pneumothorax, persistent pulmonary hypertension, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, electrolyte imbalance, bronchopulmonary dysplasia and retinopathy of prematurity were discussed. In order to improve survival and reduce complications of these extreme prematurity, advanced monitoring system, early detection and prevention of intracranial hemorrhage, establishment of the transport system are essential.