Clinical study of the delivery of very low birth weight infants in Iwate Prefecture

: Over the past 4 years, 119 very low birth weight infants (VLBWI, less than 1,500g) were delivered at Iwate Medical University. We analysed clinical background of mothers and prognosis of neonates. The objective of this study was to upgrade our perinatal care tailored to regional demand. The following results were obtained. 1. Maternal transport was necessary in 90.7% of the mothers. Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes (PPROM) was present in 38.8% of them. 2. The percentage of mothers with a cervical dilatation of more than 4cm was significantly higher in mothers without PPROM than in those with PPROM. 3. Delivery occurred within 24 hours in 86.8% of mothers without PPROM who had a cervical dilatation of more than 4cm. 4. The percentage of cesarean sections was 16.5%. 5. Death in the neonatal period occurred in 10.8% of VLBWI, 20% of extremely low birth weight infants (ELBWI, less than 1,000g), and 42.8% of infants weighing less than 750g. 6. There was no significant difference in the incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) between infants with cephalic presentation and infants with breech presentation, or between infants delivered vaginally and infants delivered by cesarean section. The incidence of IVH was significantly higher in infants weighing less than 1,000g than in those weighing 1,000g or more. 7. The neonatal death nate and the incidence of IVH were significantly higher in infants weighing less than 750g than in those weighing 1,000g or more. 8. The incidences of pneumonia and sepsis were significantly higher in infants with PPROM than those without PPROM.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)