Table 4.
Neonatal morbidity for liveborn babies
| Clamp ≥2 min+neonatal care with cord intact | Clamp ≤20 s+neonatal care after clamping | |
| (n=134) | (n=132) | |
| Any IVH (grade1–4) | 43 (32%) | 47 (36%) |
| Alive at discharge from hospital | 38 | 42 |
| Severe IVH (grade 3 or 4) | 6 (4%) | 7 (5%) |
| Periventricular leukomalacia | 7 (5%) | 8 (6%) |
| Other brain injury | 5 (4%) | 10 (8%) |
| Porencephalic cysts | – | 1 |
| Ventriculomegaly | – | 3 |
| Other* | 5 | 7 |
| Heart rate <100 at 1 min | 46† (34%) | 49 (37%) |
| Temperature, admission to NICU (°C) mean (SD) | 36.7 (0.6)‡ | 36.9 (0.8) |
| ≤36°C | 17 (13%) | 14 (11%) |
| ≤35°C | 2 (1%) | 3 (2%) |
| Blood transfusion (any) | 63 (47%) | 68 (52%) |
| For anaemia | 58 | 66 |
| For hypotension | – | 6 |
| Other indication | 4 | 7 |
| Jaundice requiring treatment | 123 (92%) | 120 (91%) |
| Phototherapy | 123 | 120 |
| Exchange transfusion | – | – |
| Polycythaemia requiring intravenous fluids | – | 1 (1%) |
| Chronic lung disease§ | 40 (31%) | 39 (33%) |
| Ventilation | 100 (75%) | 103 (78%) |
| Duration (days), median (IQR) | 3 (1, 9) | 2 (1, 9) |
| Necrotising enterocolitis | 8 (6%) | 5 (4%) |
| X-ray with perforation or pneumatosis | 7 | 3 |
| Laparotomy | 6 | 3 |
| Suspected necrotising enterocolitis¶ | 15 (11%) | 13 (10%) |
| Sepsis | 72 (53%) | 80 (61%) |
| Positive culture+antibiotics ≥5 days | 30 | 33 |
| Negative culture+antibiotics ≥5 days | 42 | 47 |
| Treatment for: | ||
| Patent ductus arteriosus | 20 (15%) | 20 (15%) |
| Retinopathy of prematurity§ | 5 (4%) | 5 (4%) |
| Duration of hospital stay** (days) median (IQR) | 57 (39, 85) | 57 (38, 75) |
| Mother’s breast milk at discharge**†† | 71 (55%) | 68 (57%) |
*Clamp ≥2 min: prominent subarachnoid spaces suggestive of atropy (n=2), periventricular cyst (1), absent cavum septum pellucidum (1), occipital cyst (1). Clamp ≤20 s: prominent subarachnoid spaces suggestive of atropy (n=2), periventricular echodensities (1), increased echogenicity of deep white matter (1), mega cysterna (1), ventriculitis (1) and marked ventricular asymmetry (1).
†Not known n=2.
‡Temperature not recorded for two babies.
§Babies who survived to 36 weeks postmenstrual age: n=129 clamping ≥2 min, n=120 clamping ≤20 s. Data collected at 36 weeks postmenstrual age, or discharge whichever happened first.
¶Defined as bowel rest+antibiotics ≥5 days.
**Admitted to neonatal unit and alive at discharge: n=128 clamping ≥2 min; n=120 clamping ≤20 s.
††Not known n=3 clamping ≥2 min; n=1 clamping ≤20 s.