Mortality and Morbidity in Premature Infants: An East and West Comparative Study

Abstract

Objective Survival of preterm infants differs dramatically depending on birthplace. No previous studies have compared outcomes of preterm infants between low middle-income and high-income countries such as India and the United States. The purpose of this study is to evaluate differences in care practices, resources, mortality, and morbidities in preterm infants with birth weight 700 to 1,500 g between two major neonatal centers in these countries. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort study with de-identified data from Fernandez Hospital (FH) in Hyderabad, India, and Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) in Houston, TX, for infants born January 2016 to December 2018, and weighing 700 to 1,500 g at birth. The primary outcome was death before hospital discharge. Results Of 1,195 infants, 736 were admitted to FH and 459 were admitted to TCH. After controlling for differences in gestational age, small for gestational age, and antenatal corticosteroid use, TCH patients had lower mortality before hospital discharge (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16–0.48, p < 0.001) and more bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; aOR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.51–3.21, p < 0.001). The composite outcome of death or BPD and death or any major morbidity (BPD or intraventricular hemorrhage grade II or more or periventricular leukomalacia grade II or more or retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment) were not different. Conclusion In this study, TCH infants had decreased odds of death before hospital discharge compared with FH but higher odds of BPD, which may be related to increased survival and differences in care practices. Key Points