Perinatology.  2019 Mar;30(1):1-7. 10.14734/PN.2019.30.1.1.

The Incidence and Survival Rate of Very Low Birth Weight Infants in Korea (2013–2016): A Comparison of the Statistics Korea and the Korean Neonatal Network and Improvements

• Kim J
• Kim HE
• Lee KS
• Chung SH
• Choi YS
• Bae CW
• Korean Neonatal Network

• KMID: 2443169
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14734/PN.2019.30.1.1

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
We aimed to compare the total number of live births and survival rates of very low birth weight infants (VLBWIs) from the Statistics Korea and the Korean Neonatal Network (KNN) data between 2013 and 2016, and to find out the direction in which the total number of VLBWIs is included in KNN.
METHODS
We obtained the number of live births and deaths of VLBWIs and extremely low birth weight infants among vital statistics of the Statistics Korea from 2013 to 2016 and compared the differences with KNN data using the KNN annual reports during the same period.
RESULTS
The survival rates were 84.2%, 86.5%, 84.9% for VLBWIs in the Statistics Korea, and 83.4%, 86.4%, 84.6% in the KNN data from 2014 to 2016. There was no significant difference between the data. The rates of registration of VLBWIs (registration number of the KNN/registration number of the Statistics Korea) showed 50.8%, 87.7%, 87.7%, 88.3% between 2013 and 2016, respectively. It showed an increasing trend every year. However, registration rates according to the birth weight (BW) and gestational age (GA) were significantly lower in BW of less than 400 g and GA of less than 22 weeks.
CONCLUSION
KNN is considered to be a good database representing the number of births of VLBWIs born in Korea. However, it is necessary to establish the GA of survival limits in the data of the Statistics Korea, and acquire data on the number of VLBWIs who are not collected by hospitals and clinics in Korea.

Keyword

Very low birth weight infants; Live birth; Survival rate; Vital statistics

MeSH Terms

Birth Weight
Gestational Age
Humans
Incidence*
Infant*
Infant, Low Birth Weight
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Very Low Birth Weight*
Korea*
Live Birth
Parturition
Survival Rate*
Vital Statistics

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Average registration rates (registration number of the KNN/re-gistration number of the Statistics Korea [%]) by birth weight (grams) (2014–2016). These data quoted from Bae and Chung3 and The Executive Committee of Korean Neonatal Network8–10 with permission. KNN, Korean Neonatal Network.

• 

  Fig. 2. Average registration rates (registration number of the KNN/re-gistration number of the Statistics Korea [%]) by pregnancy period (weeks) (2014–2016). These data quoted from Bae and Chung3 and The Executive Committee of Korean Neonatal Network8–10 with permission. KNN, Korean Neonatal Network.

Reference

References

1. Henderson ZT, Suchdev DB, Abe K, Johnston EO, Callaghan WM. Perinatal quality collaboratives: improving care for mothers and infants. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2014; 23:368–72.

2. Mikkelsen L, Phillips DE, AbouZahr C, Setel PW, de Savigny D, Lozano R, et al. A global assessment of civil registration and vital statistics systems: monitoring data quality and progress. Lancet. 2015; 386:1395–406.

3. Bae CW, Chung SH. Maternal and infant health statistics in Korea. 1st ed.Reston: Medical Hub;2018.

4. Shim JW, Kim MJ, Kim EK, Park HK, Song ES, Lee SM, et al. The impact of neonatal care resources on regional variation in neonatal mortality among very low birthweight infants in Korea. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2013; 27:216–25.

5. Choi CW, Kim BI, Kim EK, Song ES, Lee JJ. Incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in Korea. J Korean Med Sci. 2012; 27:914–21.

6. Chang YS, Park HY, Park WS. The Korean Neonatal Network: an overview. J Korean Med Sci. 2015; 30(Suppl 1):S3–11.

7. The Executive Committee of Korean Neonatal Network. 2013 Korean Neonatal Network annual report. Cheongju: Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;2014.

8. The Executive Committee of Korean Neonatal Network. 2014 Korean Neonatal Network annual report. Cheongju: Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;2015.

9. The Executive Committee of Korean Neonatal Network. 2015 Korean Neonatal Network annual report. Cheongju: Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;2016.

10. The Executive Committee of Korean Neonatal Network. 2016 Korean Neonatal Network annual report. Cheongju: Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;2017.

11. Shah PS, Lee SK, Lui K, Sjörs G, Mori R, Reichman B, et al. The International Network for Evaluating Outcomes of very low birth weight, very preterm neonates (iNeo): a protocol for collaborative comparisons of international health services for quality improvement in neonatal care. BMC Pediatr. 2014; 14:110.

12. Shah PS, Lui K, Sjörs G, Mirea L, Reichman B, Adams M, et al. Neonatal outcomes of very low birth weight and very preterm neonates: an international comparison. J Pediatr. 2016; 177:144–52.e6.

13. Lim JW, Chung SH, Kang DR, Kim CR. Risk factors for cause-specific mortality of very-low-birthweight infants in the Korean Neonatal Network. J Korean Med Sci. 2015; 30(Suppl):S35–44.

14. Kandola D, Banner D, O'Keefe-McCarthy S, Jassal D. Sampling methods in cardiovascular nursing research: an overview. Can J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2014; 24:15–8.

15. Chung SH, Bae CW. Improvement in the survival rates of very low birth weight infants after the establishment of the Korean Neonatal Network: comparison between the 2000s and 2010s. J Korean Med Sci. 2017; 32:1228–34.

16. Statistics Korea. Annual report on live births and deaths statistics (based on vital registration). Daejeon: Statistics Korea;2017.