Late preterm infants: Week by week outcomes of morbidity and mortality

The aim of this study was to determine the clinical outcome of late preterm infants (LPI) week by week. Our patients were divided into three groups according to gestational age (GA); group A: 34 - 34(+6/7) weeks, group B: 35 - 35(+6/7) weeks and group C: 36 - 36(+6/7) weeks. Out of 10650 deliveries, 1280 (12%) were late preterm, 1004 (78.5%) of which were carried out by caesarean section. A total of 1527 infants were studied with 565 (37%) requiring admission to NICU while 5 deaths were recorded (neonatal mortality rate was estimated at 3.2 %). Our study demonstrates that the rate of respiratory disorders, sepsis, feeding disorders and abnormal neurological examination in LPIs was inversely proportional to their GA. Furthermore, infants of 34(+0/7) - 34(+6/7) weeks of GA required a longer hospitalization in the NICU than their more mature peers.