TABLE 5.
Changes in neonatal risk factors in very preterm infants (<31 weeks’ gestational age) as a proportion of the entire live birth population of Nova Scotia according to five-year epoch, 1988 to 2007
| Epoch | P | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| |||||
| 1988–1992 | 1993–1997 | 1998–2002 | 2003–2007 | ||
| Total number of live births in Nova Scotia | 48,841 | 53,860 | 45,770 | 43,006 | |
| Grade 3 or 4 IVH, n (rate per 10,000 live births) | 41 (8.4) | 33 (6.1) | 35 (7.6) | 33 (7.7) | NS |
| Cystic PVL, n (rate per 10,000 live births) | 17 (3.5) | 28 (5.2) | 18 (3.9) | 17 (4.0) | NS |
| Steroids for BPD, n (rate per 10,000 live births) | 49 (10.0) | 101 (18.8) | 76 (16.6) | 54 (12.6) | 0.001 |
| Home oxygen use, n (rate per 10,000 live births) | <5 (<0.9)* | 5 (0.9) | 21 (4.6) | <5 (<0.9)* | 0.001 |
| Cystic bronchopulmonary dysplasia, n (rate per 10,000 live births) | 27 (5.5) | 38 (7.1) | 58 (12.7) | 62 (14.4) | 0.001 |
| Caffeine use, n (rate per 10,000 live births) | 138 (28.3) | 226 (42.1) | 198 (43.4) | 233 (54.5) | 0.001 |
Excludes four Cape Breton counties and Cumberland county in the first epoch;
*
Cell sizes <5 suppressed as required by the Perinatal Follow-Up Data Management Committee. BPD Bronchopulmonary dysplasia; IVH Intraventricular hemmorhage; NS Not statistically significant; PVL Periventricular leukomalacia