CLINICAL STUDY OF OUTCOME OF PRETERM VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT BABY IN NEONATAL PERIOD

Dr. Md. Alamgir Hossain*, Dr. Md. Kamrul Hasan Rafy, Dr. Afsana Rahman, Dr. Md. Golam Azam and Dr. Md. Monir Hasan

ABSTRACT

Background: Clinicians and researchers alike have noted the wide variability in developmental outcome of preterm, very low birth weight (VLBW) infants. An increasingly common assumption is that medical complications, rather than degree of prematurity/VLBW per se, drive developmental outcomes. Method: This study was carried out in the Neonatal Unit of Sher-e-Bangla Medical College and hospital, Barisal between August 2019 to August 2021 to determine the magnitude of the problem and observe short term outcome of preterm-very low birth weight babies. A total number of 200 preterm very low birth weight babies consecutively admitted in this ward were enrolled in to this study. The information about the babies gathered from the history and physical examination and recorded in data collection sheet within 24 hours of admission. Each infant was reassessed daily to record the progress and to document any new complication. In this study among 200 babies 50% was male and 50% was female babies. Among them 8.5% was extremely Low birth weight, 1.5% was incredibly low birth weight babies. About 64.5% of preterm VLBW babies were associated with multiple pregnancy (57.1% twin pregnancy and 7.5% triplet pregnancy). Each baby had one or more problems. Infection 33% (septicemia, congenital pneumonia and umblical sepsis), perinatal asphyxia 30%, poor feeding 10%, neonatal jaundice 28.5%, neonatal seizure 14 %, apnea 16.5%, RDS 5 %, Hypoglycemia 7%, hypocalcaemia 2.5 % were the major problems. Result: Among the studied neonates mortality rate was 32.5 %. Perinatal asphyxia (30%), septicemia. (20.50 %) were the major cause of death in this study group. Immediate outcome of preterm VLBW infants was closely related to maternal illness during pregnancy. We found mortality rate was related to gestational age; highest (100 %) among the babies of gestational age less than 28 weeks and lowest in babies of gestational age 35 weeks or more. Lower gestational age was associated with higher mortality rate. Higher mortality rates were observed among babies delivered per vaginally (24.7 %) compared to caesarian section (16.7 %). In addition to prematurity-birth weight was the important factor influencing the mortality observed in the present study. Conclusion: This study was an enthusiastic approach towards finding out the outcome in preterm very low birth weight babies in neonatal period.

Keywords: Preterm, very low birth weight, neonates, gestational age.