Trends in Care Practices, Morbidity, and Mortality of Extremely Preterm Neonates, 1993-2012

Abstract

Advances in medicine over the past 2 decades have changed care for mothers in preterm labor and for extremely preterm infants. Slow but steady improvements in outcomes have been reported, with substantial differences across centers.^1-7 Nonetheless, extremely preterm infants continue to contribute disproportionately to the burden of neonatal morbidity, mortality, and long-term neurodevelopmental disability.^8,9 Evaluation of current in-hospital morbidity and mortality data among extremely preterm infants is important in counseling families and considering novel interventions to improve outcome.