The Effect of Transport on Mortality and Morbidity in Preterm Infants Less than 32 Weeks of Gestation

• Published in: Güncel pediatri 2014-04, Vol.12 (1), p.16-19
• Main Authors: Katar, Selahattin, Yildiz, Dogan, Turgut, Abdülkadir, Taskesen, Mustafa, Saka, Günay
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: mortality and morbidity; Premature; transport
• ISSN: 1304-9054; 1308-6308
• DOI: 10.4274/jcp.70288

Introduction: The aim of this study was to compare mortality and morbidity rates of premature infants with gestational age of less than 32 weeks who were born in our hospital and those who were transported to our hospital after birth from other centers. Materials and Methods: Patients were divided into two groups; Group 1 included 40 patients who were born before gestational age of 32 weeks in our hospital, and Group 2 included 108 premature patients who were born before gestational age of 32 weeks in other centers and later transferred to our hospital. Morbidity and mortality rates were compared between the two groups (intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD)). Results: Demographic characteristics, gender, body weight, and gestational age were similar in both groups (p>0.05). The rate of normal vaginal delivery births was higher in Group 2 (p0.05). Although higher rates of IVH, ROP, RDS, NEC, and BPD were found in Group 2, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p>0.05). Conclusions: Being transferred after birth has a negative effect on morbidity and mortality in premature infants. Thus, the best transport method is intrauterine transport except in state of an emergency, especially for infants with severe prematurity; these patients should be treated in centers with facilities of the highest level. (The Jo­ur­nal of Cur­rent Pe­di­at­rics 2014;1:16-9)