• J Paediatr Child Health. 1997 Feb 1; 33 (1): 18-25.

ObjectiveTo determine the risk factors associated with mortality in very low birthweight (VLBW) infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care units (NIUC) in Malaysia.MethodA prospective observational study of outcome of all VLBW infants born between 1 January 1993 and 30 June 1993 and admitted to the NICU.ResultsData of 868 VLBW neonates from 18 centres in Malaysia were collected. Their mean birthweight was 1223 g (95% confidence intervals: 1208-1238 g). Thirty-seven point four per cent (325/868) of these infants died before discharge. After exclusion of all infants with congenital anomalies (n = 66, and nine of them also had incomplete records) and incomplete records (n = 82), stepwise logistic regression analysis of the remaining 720 infants showed that the risk factors that were significantly associated with increased mortality before discharge were: delivery in district hospitals, Chinese race, lower birthweight, lower gestation age, persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, pulmonary airleak, necrotizing enterocolitis of stage 2 or 3, confirmed sepsis, hypotension, hypothermia, acute renal failure, intermittent positive pressure ventilation, and umbilical arterial catheterization. Factors that were significantly associated with lower risk of mortality were: use of antenatal steroid, oxygen therapy, surfactant therapy and blood transfusion.ConclusionThe mortality of VLBW infants admitted to the Malaysian NICU was high and was also associated with a number of preventable risk factors.

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