The association of early postnatal weight loss with outcome in extremely low birth weight infants

Abstract Background To compare outcomes of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants having different weight losses in the first 3 days of life. Methods One hundred and twenty six ELBW infants were evaluated retrospectively for weight loss percentages on the third day of life compared to their birth weight. We examined the weight loss on the third day of life compared to the birth weight for the ELBW infants and tested its association with mortality and morbidities. The mortality was subgrouped as overall mortality and mortality in the first 7 days of life. The morbidities were patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). BPD was defined as need for supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks’ postconceptional age. We grouped the infants into four quartiles according to weight loss percentage on the third day of life: Group 1 (Quartile 1), infants with weight loss of 0–3% of birth weight; Group 2 (Quartile 2); infants with weight loss of 3.1–7.5%, Group 3 (Quartile 3), infants with weight loss of 7.51–12%; and Group 4 (Quartile 4), infants with weight loss of more than 12%. The mortality and morbidities were analyzed according to these groups and other risk factors. Results Overall mortality and mortality in the first 7 days of life were significantly higher in Groups 1 (36% and 27%) and 4 (43% and 24%), compared to Groups 2 (10% and 10%) and 3 (18% and 9%), respectively. Conclusion Weight loss less than 3% and more than 12% was significantly associated with an increase in mortality. There was a positive correlation between weight loss on the third day of life and IVH. Conclusion Inappropriate weight loss in ELBW infants is associated with increased mortality and IVH. Appropriate weight loss can improve outcomes in this population.