Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of the study cohort.
| 23–28 weeks n = 114 | 29–32 weeks n = 152 | 33–36 weeks n = 116 | All preterm n = 382 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gestational age(weeks) | 26.6 ± 1.6 | 31 ± 1.1 | 34.1 ± 0.7 | 30.6 ± 3.1 |
| Birth weight (g) | 916 ± 272 | 1506 ± 308 | 2110 ± 471 | 1512 ± 584 |
| SGA | 13(11.4) | 16 (10.6) | 24 (20.9) | 53 (13.9) |
| Gender (female) | 47 (41.2) | 91 (59.9) | 59 (50.9) | 197 (51.6) |
| Multiple | 34 (30.1) | 50 (33.3) | 39 (33.9) | 123 (32.5) |
| LOS | 30 (26.3) | 12 (7.9) | 0 (0) | 42 (11.0) |
| EOS | 21 (18.4) | 17 (11.2) | 3 (2.6) | 41 (10.7) |
| AIS | 67 (60.4) | 55 (37.2) | 26 (23.4) | 148(40.0) |
| NEC | 5 (4.5) | 2 (1.3) | 0 (0) | 7 (1.9) |
| FIP | 8 (7.0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 8 (2.1) |
| BPD | 57 (50.4) | 6 (4.0) | 0 (0) | 63 (16.6) |
| Mode of delivery | ||||
| Spontaneous | 7 (6.2) | 14 (9.3) | 36 (31.3) | 57 (15.1) |
| Elective C/S | 98 (87.5) | 115 (76.7) | 66 (57.4) | 279 (74.0) |
| Emergency C/S | 7 (6.2) | 21 (14.0) | 13 (11.3) | 41 (10.9) |
| Cause of delivery | ||||
| Preterm labor or AIS | 88 (78.6) | 82 (55.0) | 77 (67.5) | 247 (65.9) |
| Pre-eclampsia | 7 (6.2) | 13 (8.7) | 10 (8.8) | 30 (8.0) |
| Pathological Doppler | 20 (17.9) | 60 (40.3) | 28 (24.6) | 108 (28.8) |
| Others | 41 (36.6) | 37 (24.8) | 23 (20.2) | 101 (26.9) |
SGA, small for gestational age (birth weight <10th percentile); C/S, cesarean section; AIS, amniotic infection syndrome; LOS, late-onset sepsis; EOS, early-onset sepsis; NEC, necrotizing enterocolitis; FIP, focal intestinal perforation; BPD, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (need for supplemental oxygen > 28 days). Data are described as n (%) or mean ± SD. Multiple causes of preterm birth were possible.