Table 2.
Definition and categorization of clinical variables for statistical analysis. Clinical characteristics were fully available for 71 subjects among all the 78 subjects included in the study.
| Factors | Definition | Grouping | |
|---|---|---|---|
| IVH | Bleeding into the ventricles of the brain (Chadha et al.) | Grades 0–2, none-mild (82) | Grades 3 and 4, severe (10) |
| VM | Dilatation of the lateral cerebral ventricles usually defined as >10 mm at the level of the atria (Mehlhorn et al. 2017) | Grades 0 and 1, none-mild (90) | Grades 2 and 3, severe (2) |
| PVL or WMI | Type of brain damage that affects the brain’s WM and can lead to a series of disabilities, including cerebral palsy (Volpe 1997) | Grades 0 and 1, none-mild (83) | Grades 2 and 3, severe (9) |
| Birth weight | Gram | >=1,500 (8) >=1,000(46) |
1–1,500 (63) 1–1,000 (25) |
| Birth age | Weeks | >=31 (3) >=28(35) |
<31 (68) < 28 (36) |
| Days intubated | Mechanical ventilation and intubation | 0–5 (42) | >=5 (29) |
| PDA | An opening between the aorta and pulmonary artery | No (31) | Yes (40) |
| CLD | Long-term breathing and lung problems in premature babies | No (52) | Yes (19) |
| NEC | Inflammation of intestinal tissue that may cause perforation | No (67) | Yes (4) |
| Neonatal infection | Culture + or −sepsis and/or meningitis | No (26) | Yes (45) |
| Postnatal steroids | Exposure to postnatal hydrocortisol | No (63) | Yes (8) |
| Hypotension | Requiring treatment with volume resuscitation and/or vasopressors | No (36) | Yes (35) |