Rehospitalization for Respiratory Illness in Very Low Birth Weight Infants during the First Year of Life

Sa-Kong, Young; Lee, Bong Hwan; Jeung, Hoon; Lee, Yun Jin; Lee, Kyun Woo

Abstract

PURPOSE
The aims of this study were to investigate the incidence of rehospitalization for very low birth weight (VLBW) infants due to respiratory illness during the first year of life, and to examine the association between rehospitalization with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and duration of mechanical ventilation. METHODS: Twenty-three VLBW infants admitted to neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Dae-Dong Hospital from January 1996 to December 2002 were studied. Twenty-three of full-term infants born from January 2001 to December 2002 at Dae-Dong Hospital were studied as control group. Parental questionnaire were collected and hospital records of VLBW infants and control group were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: The rate of rehospitalization for respiratory illness in VLBW infants (16/23, 69%) was greater than that of term infants (6/23, 26%) (P< 0.05). Ventilated group with RDS (14/ 19, 73%) in VLBW infants had more rehospitalization compared to non-ventilated group (2/4, 50%) (P< 0.05). Those with ventilator care longer than 7 days (7/7, 100%) had more rehospitalization than those with ventilator care less than seven days (7/12, 58%) (P< 0.05). Fifty nine percent of rehospitalization occurred from December to March. Sixty five percent of rehospitalized infants required admissions between 5 and 8 months after NICU discharge. CONCLUSION: VLBW infants are more likely to have rehospitalization with respiratory illness during first year, especially VLBW infants with RDS and prolonged care of mechanical ventilation. It is important to prevent these susceptible infants from respiratory infections and to follow-up them periodically because VLBW infants tend to show decreased pulmonary function subsequently.