Morbidity and mortality in small for gestational age very preterm infants in a middle-income country

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of small for gestational age (SGA) on outcomes of very preterm infants at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH), Cape Town, South Africa. Study designData were obtained from the Vermont Oxford Network (VON) GSH database from 2012 to 2018. The study is a secondary analysis of prospectively collected observational data. Fenton growth charts were used to define SGA as birth weight < 10th centile for gestational age. ResultsMortality [28.9% vs. 18.5%, adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-2.7], bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD; 14% vs. 4.5%, aRR 3.7, 95% CI 2.3-6.1), and late-onset sepsis (LOS; 16.7% vs. 9.6%, aRR 2.3, 95% CI 1.6-3.3) were higher in the SGA than in the non-SGA group. ConclusionSmall for gestational age infants have a higher risk of mortality and morbidity among very preterm infants at GSH. This may be useful for counseling and perinatal management.