Mortality risk among preterm babies: immaturity versus underlying pathology.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Deaths among preterm births are presumably due to both immaturity and the conditions that cause preterm birth. Their relative contributions are unknown.

Methods

Using US birth certificates (1995-2002), we estimated what portion of preterm neonatal mortality may be attributable to immaturity alone. Twins have elevated mortality, yet they usually have lower mortality than singletons at most preterm weeks. Twinning itself is a cause of early birth. Thus, at any given preterm week, singletons are more likely than twins to have pathologic causes of preterm delivery. If any such cause is associated with a mortality risk higher than that conferred by twinning, it is possible for singletons to have higher mortality than twins at some preterm weeks. Thus, mortality of twin

SUBMITTER: Basso O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2967434 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature