Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the study population according to gestational age.
| Gestational age | <25 weeks GA N = 38 |
25-26 weeks GA N = 54 |
27-28 weeks GA N = 55 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA (%) | Mean (%) or n (%) | NA (%) | Mean (%) or n (%) | NA (%) | Mean (%) or n (%) | |
| Maternal age, years | 0 (0) | 31.8 ± 4.8 | 0 (0) | 32.1 ± 5.3 | 0 (0) | 29.7 ± 5.5 |
| Maternal hypertension | 2 (5) | 1 (3) | 0 (0) | 7 (13) | 0 (0) | 10 (18) |
| Antenatal steroidsa | 0 (0) | 33 (87) | 0 (0) | 49 (91) | 0 (0) | 48 (87) |
| Vaginal delivery | 0 (0) | 14 (37) | 0 (0) | 10 (19) | 0 (0) | 9 (16) |
| Mean gestational age ± SD (weeks) | 0 (0) | 24.3 ± 0.6 | 0 (0) | 26.1 ± 0.6 | 0 (0) | 28 ± 0.5 |
| Male sex | 0 (0) | 15 (39) | 0 (0) | 20 (37) | 0 (0) | 30 (55) |
| Mean birth weight ± SD, g | 0 (0) | 682 ± 125 | 0 (0) | 867 ± 160 | 0 (0) | 1002 ± 233 |
| Mean SNAP score ± SD | 1 (3) | 20.7 ± 13.1 | 5 (9) | 15.5 ± 7.6 | 18 (33) | 14.9 ± 10.9 |
| Parenteral nutrition, daysb | 7 (18) | 26 (11, 47) | 6 (11) | 11 (8, 22) | 3 (5) | 9 (8, 13) |
| NSAID-treated PDA | 3 (8) | 29 (83) | 4 (7) | 30 (60) | 15 (27) | 11 (28) |
| Acute kidney injury | 0 (0) | 10 (26) | 0 (0) | 6 (11) | 0 (0) | 2 (4) |
| IVH grade 3–4 | 0 (0) | 6 (16) | 2 (4) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (2) |
| ROP stage ≥3 | 2 (5) | 12 (33) | 6 (11) | 1 (2) | 1 (2) | 1 (2) |
| Moderate-to-severe BPD | 2 (5) | 34 (94) | 6 (11) | 37 (77) | 2 (4) | 23 (43) |
| Neurodevelopmental impairment or death | 2 (5) | 30 (83) | 8 (15) | 23 (50) | 10 (18) | 20 (44) |
| Death before 18 months’ CA | 0 (0) | 3 (8) | 0 (0) | 7 (13) | 0 (0) | 3 (5) |
| Mean plasma sodium at first assessment ± SD, mmol/l | 0 (0) | 137.1 ± 4.0 | 0 (0) | 135.3 ± 3.4 | 0 (0) | 137.2 ± 4.1 |
| Number of sodium assays | 0 (0) | 56.1 ± 24.9 | 0 (0) | 34.1 ± 17.0 | 0 (0) | 20.5 ± 13.3 |
| At least 7 daily sodium values during the first 10 days of life | 0 (0) | 38 (100) | 0 (0) | 54 (100) | 0 (0) | 35 (64) |
Neonates with death occurring prior to the 11th day of life (n = 22) were excluded from the study.
NA (%) not available (percent missing).
aAntenatal steroids include partial and complete courses.
bData shown as median.