The Most Common Causes of Morbidity and Mortality in Late Preterm Infants: 8-year Single-center Experience

Objective: Late preterm infants are immature regarding respiratory, metabolic, neurological, and immunological features and have a high risk for morbidity and mortality. Therefore, it is aimed to draw attention to the problems that may develop in newborn care by scanning all hospitalization and mortality rates of late preterm infants. Method: In this retrospective study, late preterm infants hospitalized in a tertiary university hospital between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2014, having the study admission criteria, were enrolled. Results: A total of 1,088 late preterm infants were included in the eight-year study period. According to their gestational weeks, the infants were divided into three main groups; 31.4% (n=342) were in group 1 (340/7-346/7), 30.6% (n=333) were in group 2 (350/7-356/7), 38% (n=413) were in group 3 (360/7-366/7). The most common causes for admission to the neonatal intensive care unit were hyperbilirubinemia, suspected sepsis and infections, respiratory morbidities, poor feeding, and hypoglycemia; reasons for rehospitalization included jaundice, infections, suspicion of sepsis, and poor feeding. In addition, neonatal transient tachypnea, apnea, hypoglycemia, early-onset sepsis, healthcare-associated infection were most common in those born at 34-346/7 gestational weeks; respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, late-onset sepsis were most frequently in those born at 35-356/7 gestational weeks. Conclusion: As a result, late preterm infants are at risk for respiratory disorders, sepsis, jaundice, and metabolic problems; the need for intervention increases as gestational age decreases. The delivery timing should be planned with these problems in mind, and the follow-up and treatment of late preterm infants should be carried out accordingly.