Table 5.
Neonatal contributory causes of death of preterm infants by gestational age
| <28 weeks | 28 to 31 weeks | 32 to 34 weeks | 35 to <36 weeks | All (N) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hypothermia | 71 (9·2%) | 369 (47·9%) | 237 (30·8%) | 93 (12·1%) | 770 |
| Apnoea | 38 (10·6%) | 185 (51·4%) | 109 (30·3%) | 28 (7·8%) | 360 |
| Respiratory distress syndrome | 29 (8·4%) | 166 (48·3%) | 104 (30·2%) | 45 (13·1%) | 344 |
| Sepsis | 14 (8·5%) | 73 (44·5%) | 52 (31·7%) | 25 (15·2%) | 164 |
| Hyperbilirubinaemia (jaundice) | 10 (8·2%) | 43 (35·2%) | 44 (36·1%) | 25 (20·5%) | 122 |
| Anaemia | 10 (9·8%) | 45 (44·1%) | 32 (31·4%) | 15 (14·7%) | 102 |
| Asphyxia | 7 (7·1%) | 47 (47·5%) | 34 (34·3%) | 11 (11·1%) | 99 |
| Hypoglycaemia | 4 (5·4%) | 30 (40·5%) | 26 (35·1%) | 14 (18·9%) | 74 |
| Intraventricular haemorrhage | 6 (8·8%) | 37 (54·4%) | 21 (30·9%) | 4 (5·9%) | 68 |
| Pneumonia | 5 (8·9%) | 19 (33·9%) | 19 (33·9%) | 13 (23·2%) | 56 |
Data are n (%). N=1109. More than one contributory condition is possible so percentages are calculated across gestational age categories. In some cases, conditions that were often a primary cause of death such as respiratory distress syndrome were present but deemed by the panel to be a contributory cause.