Soonchunhyang Med Sci.  2012 Dec;18(2):85-90.

Comparison of Respiratory Morbidity in Late Preterm and Term Infants at a Single Institution

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Bucheon, Korea. iruril@schmc.ac.kr

Abstract


OBJECTIVE
This study was carried out to evaluate short-term respiratory morbidity in late preterm births compared with term births at a single center in Korea.
METHODS
In retrospective study, we reviewed medical records of neonates that were born at Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital from January 2002 to January 2011 and their mothers. The neonates were divided into two groups by their gestational age (GA): 535 late preterm births (GA, 34+0 to 36+6 weeks) and 3,037 term births (GA, 37+0 to 41+6 weeks). We compared late preterm births and term births in regard to maternal characteristics, neonatal characteristics, respiratory morbidities, and respiratory supports.
RESULTS
Of 535 late preterm births, 117 (21.9%) had respiratory tract disease. Of 3,037 term births, 105 (3.5%) had respiratory tract disease. Compared term births, late preterm births had significantly more respiratory diseases such as apnea (odds ratio [OR], 37.3), respiratory distress syndrome (OR, 34.0), transient tachypnea of newborn (OR, 5.9), and pneumonia (OR, 2.2). Duration of oxygen supply was longer in term than in preterm births. Oxygen supply through isolette and use of surfactant were more frequent in late preterm than term births. It was not differ from two groups to use continuous positive airway pressure and mechanical ventilation.
CONCLUSION
This study showed that late preterm births had significantly higher respiratory morbidity than term births. Therefore, we should have more attention to evaluate and manage when late preterm birth occur than before. Also it is necessary to study long-term respiratory outcomes of late preterm births and discuss about perinatal care system.

Keyword

Late preterm births; Respiratory tract diseases; Morbidity

MeSH Terms

Apnea
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
Gestational Age
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Medical Records
Mothers
Oxygen
Perinatal Care
Pneumonia
Premature Birth
Respiratory Tract Diseases
Retrospective Studies
Term Birth
Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn
Oxygen
Full Text Links
  • SMS
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr