Table 1. Clinical Characteristics of Infants in the German Neonatal Network.
| Characteristic | Infants, No. (%) (N = 12 794) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| No ROP (n = 6424) | Any ROP (n = 6370) | P value | |
| Gestational age, mean (SD), wk | 27.03 (1.35) | 25.84 (1.61) | <.001 |
| Birth weight, mean (SD), g | 931 (232) | 765 (225) | <.001 |
| Sex | |||
| Female | 2988 (46.5) | 3056 (48.0) | .10 |
| Male | 3436 (53.5) | 3317 (52.0) | |
| Multiple birth | 2031 (31.6) | 2007 (31.5) | .96 |
| SGA status | 519 (8.1) | 1142 (17.9) | <.001 |
| Inborn status | 6053 (97.1) | 5973 (93.8) | .33 |
| Antenatal steroid use | 5960 (92.8) | 5633 (88.4) | <.001 |
| Clinical chorioamnionitis | 1794 (27.9) | 1795 (28.2) | .16 |
| Apgar score at 5 min, mean (SD) | 7 (1) | 7 (2) | .01 |
| LISA | 2968 (46.2) | 2660 (41.8) | <.001 |
| Days on mechanical ventilation or CPAP, mean (SD) | 43 (28) | 69 (40) | <.001 |
| Days on supplemental oxygen, mean (SD) | 33 (34) | 63 (50) | <.001 |
| Maximum FiO2 in the first 12 h of life, mean (SD) | 43 (22) | 48 (25) | <.001 |
| FiO2 0.21-029 in the first 12 h of life, mean (SD) | 1832 (28.5) | 1412 (22.1) | |
| FiO2 0.3-1.0 in the first 12 h of life, mean (SD) | 4518 (70.3) | 4655 (73.1) | |
| Inotropes given in the first 24 h | 636 (10.0) | 1017 (16.0) | <.001 |
| Days until full enteral feeds, mean (SD) | 15.92 (11.33) | 22.05 (18.86) | <.001 |
| Neonatal sepsis | 752 (11.7) | 1387 (21.8) | <.001 |
| Sepsis episodes | |||
| 1 | 656 (10.2) | 1082 (17.0) | <.001 |
| 2 | 82 (1.3) | 232 (3.6) | |
| 3 | 11 (0.2) | 73 (1.1) | |
| Early-onset sepsis | 83 (1.3) | 87 (1.4) | .58 |
| Late-onset sepsis | 669 (10.4) | 1300 (20.4) | <.001 |
| Any IVH | 1265 (19.7) | 2012 (31.7) | <.001 |
| IVH grade | |||
| I | 553 (8.6) | 644 (10.1) | <.001 |
| II | 351 (5.5) | 560 (8.8) | |
| III | 188 (2.9) | 415 (6.5) | |
| IV | 173 (2.7) | 387 (6.1) | |
| cPVL | 183 (2.9) | 361 (5.7) | <.001 |
| NEC requiring surgery | 113 (1.8) | 358 (5.6) | <.001 |
Abbreviations: CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure; cPVL, cystic periventricular leukomalacia; FiO2, fraction of inspired oxygen; IVH, intraventricular hemorrhage; LISA, less invasive surfactant administration; NEC, necrotizing enterocolitis; ROP, retinopathy of prematurity; SGA, small for gestational age.