Neonatal Med.  2014 Nov;21(4):218-223. 10.5385/nm.2014.21.4.218.

Morbidity of Low Birth Weight Infants in Korea (2012): A Comparison with Japan and the USA

• Kim TH
• Choi MS
• Chung SH
• Choi YS
• Bae CW

• KMID: 1802880
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5385/nm.2014.21.4.218

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to identify the morbidity in very low birth weight infants (VLBWI) and low birth weight infants (LBWI) in Korea and compare these data with similar data from Japan and the USA.
METHODS
The analysis of morbidity in VLBWI in Korea was based on a 2012 survey of morbidity in LBWI in Korea. These findings were compared with the morbidity of VLBWI and LBWI in Japan and the USA.
RESULTS
Morbidities in LBWI included jaundice (58.5%), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS; 37.0%), apnea (22.2%), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA; 22.0%), and small for gestational age (SGA; 19.2%). The research findings concerning LBWI morbidity found, high prevalence rates for neonatal jaundice, RDS, PDA, SGA, apnea, and sepsis. Compared with VLBWI morbidity of Japan and the USA, intraventricular hemorrhage, RDS, PDA, and sepsis were more prevalent in Korea, whereas bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and retinopathy of prematurity occurred at similar frequencies in all 3 countries.
CONCLUSION
This study provides a recent nationwide summary of disease-specific morbidity in VLBWI and LBWI in Korea. Based on this study, future research and surveys are needed to identify the disease-specific mortality and survival rates in the field of neonatal intensive care.

Keyword

Epidemiology; Incidence; Morbidity; Low birth weight infant

MeSH Terms

Apnea
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia
Ductus Arteriosus, Patent
Enterocolitis, Necrotizing
Epidemiology
Gestational Age
Hemorrhage
Humans
Incidence
Infant*
Infant, Low Birth Weight*
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Very Low Birth Weight
Intensive Care, Neonatal
Japan*
Jaundice
Jaundice, Neonatal
Korea
Mortality
Prevalence
Retinopathy of Prematurity
Sepsis
Survival Rate