Abstract
The national collaborative survey on very preterm (<32 weeks) and/or VLBW (<1500 g) infants liveborn in The Netherlands in 1983, collected perinatal data on 1338 study infants born in 138 hospitals. We analysed the relation between place of birth and mortality, adjuting for a varying number of risk factors. All infants were assigned to 3 levels of care according to hospital of birth: Level 3: (university) hospitals, (n=8) Level 2: (regional) hospitals, limited neonatal facilities (N=19) Level 1: hospitals with no or little neonatal facilities (n=111). Logistic regression analysis with 4 perinatal factors as potential confounders (gestational age, birthweight, sex, multiple birth) showed a higher mortality risk for infants born outside the tertiary centers. Inclusion of 22 relevant perinatal factors (e.g. maternal disease, fetal position, multiple birth) increased the odds ratio further. Contrary to the current belief, the higher mortality risk in level 1 and 2 is even clearer if more differences in perinatal risk factors are taken into account.
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Verloove-Vanhorick, S., Ebeling, M., Brand, R. et al. PLACE OF BIRTH AND MORTALITY IN VERY PRETERM AND VERY LOW BIRTHWEIGHT (VLBW) INFNATS. Pediatr Res 21 (Suppl 4), 262 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00572
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198704010-00572