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. 2021 Feb 18;18(1):1–12. doi: 10.1080/21645515.2020.1866950

Table 3.

Risk of vaccine-preventable disease in preterm and LBW infants

Disease Outcome Risk of acquiring disease
Diphtheria

  • Increased riskƘ of disease62

 n.r.¥
Tetanus

  • Death due to neonatal tetanus in LBW

 OR: 2.09 (95%CI: 1.29–3.37)63
Pertussis

  • Hospitalization in preterm vs. full-term infants

 IRR: 1.99 (95%CI: 1.47–2.71)64

  • Severe disease with a history of prematurity

 OR: 5.00 (95%CI: 1.27–19.71)65
Polio

  • Increased risk of disease

 n.r. ¥
Hepatitis B

  • Increased risk of disease

 n.r. ¥
Invasive pneumococcal disease

  • Risk of infection in LBW (<2,500 grams) infants

 RR: 2.6 (P = .03)39

  • Risk of infection in preterm (<38 weeks) infants

 RR: 1.6 (P = .06)39
Bacterial meningitis

  • Hospitalization in infants weighing <1,000 grams

  • Hospitalization in infants weighing 1,000–1,499 grams

  • Hospitalization in infants weighing 1,500–1,999 grams

  • Hospitalization in infants weighing 2,000–2,499 grams

 RR: 1.38 (95%CI: 0.57–3.35)66
RR: 1.46 (95%CI: 0.88–2.44)66
RR: 1.55 (95%CI: 1.13–2.12)66
RR: 1.31 (95%CI: 1.09–1.58)66
Bacterial pneumonia

  • Hospitalization in infants weighing <1,000 grams

  • Hospitalization in infants weighing 1,000–1,499 grams

  • Hospitalization in infants weighing 1,500–1,999 grams

  • Hospitalization in infants weighing 2,000–2,499 grams

 RR: 2.86 (95%CI: 1.83–4.47)66
RR: 1.67 (95%CI: 1.20–2.33)66
RR: 1.53 (95%CI: 1.22–1.91)66
RR: 1.51 (95%CI: 1.32–1.71)66
Rotavirus gastroenteritis

  • Hospitalization in very LBWs (<1,500 grams)

 OR: 2.6 (95%CI: 1.6–4.1)67

  • Hospitalization in LBW (1,500–2,499 grams)

 OR: 1.6 (95%CI: 1.3–2.1)67
Influenza

  • Severe disease in children with history of prematurity

 OR: 2.53 (95%CI: 1.34–4.77)68

ƘAge data reflect a higher proportion of cases in the adolescent and adult populations. These populations could be the source of infection in preterm and LBW infants

¥No data was found for these diseases. It can be assumed that there is a high risk of these diseases occurring given the immaturity of the immune system of the preterm and LBW infant

CI: confidence interval; IRR: incidence rate ratio; LBW: low birth weight; OR: odds ratio; P: p-value; RR: relative risk