Table 1.
Infant characteristics comparison between VLBW and NBW group
| VLBW | NBW | p value* | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | 102 | 87 | ||||
| Gestational age [weeks median, (IQR)] | 29.6 | (27.3–31.7) | 39.8 | (38.4–40.1) | p < 0.001 | |
| Birth weight [grams median, (IQR)] | 1224 | (860–1410) | 3315 | (3120–3700) | p < 0.001 | |
| Apgar score [number median, (IQR)] | At 1 min | 7 | (6–8) | 10 | (9–10) | p < 0.001 |
| At 5 min | 8 | (7–9) | 10 | (10–10) | p < 0.001 | |
| At 10 min | 8,5 | (8–9) | 10 | (10–10) | p < 0.001 | |
| Mode of delivery [N, (%)] | Vaginal | 12 | (11.8) | 71 | (81.6) | p < 0.001 |
| Caesarean section | 90 | (88.2) | 16 | (18.4) | p < 0.001 | |
| Antibiotic treatment [N, (%)] | AMPI | 69 | (67.6) | 0 | (0.0) | p < 0.001 |
| AMPI + surfactant | 59 | (57.8) | 0 | (0.0) | p < 0.001 | |
| GENTA | 66 | (64.7) | 0 | (0.0) | p < 0.001 | |
| Other | 48 | (47.1) | 0 | (0.0) | p < 0.001 | |
| Infection [N, (%)] | Early infection | 50 | (49.0) | 0 | (0.0) | p < 0.001 |
| Late infection | 38 | (37.3) | 0 | (0.0) | p < 0.001 | |
| General diseases [N, (%)] | Present overall | 24 | (23.5) | 3 | (3.4) | p < 0.001 |
| Bronchial asthma | 4 | (3.9) | 0 | (0.0) | p = 0.06 | |
| Atopic eczema | 0 | (0.0) | 2 | (2.3) | p = 0.121 | |
| Respiratory disorders | 7 | (6.9) | 0 | (0.0) | p = 0.011 | |
| Heart defects | 10 | (9.8) | 1 | (1.1) | p = 0.009 | |
| Renal disorders | 1 | (1.0) | 0 | (0.0) | p = 0.353 | |
| Neurological disorders | 2 | (2.0) | 0 | (0.0) | p = 0.187 | |
| Visual impairment | 1 | (1.0) | 0 | (0.0) | p = 0.353 | |
| Medication [N, (%)] | Regular use | 8 | (7.8) | 0 | (0.0) | p = 0.007 |
IQR interquartile range, N number, VLBW very low birth weight, NBW normal birth weight, AMPI ampicillin, GENTA gentamicin
*Statistical significance determined using ML chi-square test in case of categorical variables and Mann–Whitney U test in case of continuous variables, significant values marked in bold