The objective of the study is to identify the predictors of mortality in very low birth weight neonates. It is a nested case control study in a prospectively assembled cohort. Total 260 inborn VLBW newborn admitted to NICU were enrolled. Mean gestational age was 33.58 ± 4.8 week and mean birth weight was 1256.56 ± 182.8 g. Overall case fatality rate was 50.38%. Preterm delivery, low birth weight, APGAR score at 1 and 5 minute were found to be significant predictors of mortality. VLBW who are critically ill due to disturbance in pulmonary and circulatory physiology have a very high risk of mortality.

Keywords: Prematurity, very low birth weight, mortality, APGAR score, maternal BMI.

1. Liu L, Johnson HL, Cousens S, Perin J, Scott S, Lawn JE et al. Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality: an updated systematic analysis for 2010 with time trends since 2000. Lancet. 2012 Jun 9; 379(9832):2151-6.
2. Knippenberg R, Lawn JE, Darmstadt GL, Begkoyian G, Fogstad H, Walelign N et al. Systematic scaling up of neonatal care in countries. Lancet 2005 Mar 19-25; 365(9464):1087-98.
3. Darlow BA, Cust AE, Donoghue DA, et al. Improved outcomes for very low birthweight infants: evidence from New Zealand national population based data. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed 2003; 88(1):F23-F28
4. Ballot DE, Chirwa TF, Cooper PA. Determinants of survival in very low birth weight neonates in a public sector hospital in Johannesburg. BMC Pediatr.  2010 May 6; 10:30.
5. Sritipsukho S, Suarod T, Sritipsukho P. Survival and outcome of very low birth weight infants born in a university hospital with level II NICU. J Med Assoc Thai. 2007 Jul;90(7):1323-9
6. Tarnow-Mordi W, Ogston S, Wilkinson AR, et al. Predicting death from initial disease severity in very low birthweight infants: a method for comparing the performance of neonatal units. BMJ  1990; 300:1611-4
7. Basu S, Rathore P, Bhatia BD. Predictors of mortality in very low birth weight neonates in India. Singapore Med J. 2008 Jul;49(7):556-60.
8. Gera T, Ramji S. Early predictors of mortality in very low birth weight neonates. Indian Pediatr. 2001 Jun;38(6):596-602.
9. Roy KK, Baruah J, Kumar S, Malhotra N, Deorari AK, Sharma JB. Maternal antenatal profile and immediate neonatal outcome in VLBW and ELBW babies. Indian J Pediatr. 2006 Aug;73(8):669-73.
10. Terzic S, Heljic S. Assessing Mortality Risk in Very Low Birth Weight Infants. Med Arh. 2012; 66(2): 76-79.
11. Moro M, Figueras-Aloy J, Fernández C, Doménech E, Jiménez R, Pérez-Rodríguez J et al. Mortality for newborns of birthweight less than 1500 g in Spanish neonatal units. Am J Perinatol. 2007 Nov;24(10):593-601.
12. Jae Woo Lim, Sung-Hoon Chung, Dae Ryong Kang, Chang-Ryul Kim. Risk Factors for Cause-specific Mortality of Very-Low-Birth-Weight Infants in the Korean Neonatal Network. J Korean Med Sci. 2015 Oct; 30(Suppl 1): S35–S44.

Dr Anita Harinkhede

C- 404 C Block, Residential Campus, CIMS Chhindwara 480001, India