Early term delivery is associated with increased neonatal respiratory morbidity

Background The recent increase in early term birth rates represents a growing challenge to public health given the association between early term birth and neonatal morbidities. We compared the risk of respiratory morbidity between early term and full‐term infants. Methods This retrospective cohort...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics international 2021-01, Vol.63 (1), p.60-64
Main Authors: Bulut, Ozgul, Buyukkayhan, Derya
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Birth
Births
cesarean section
Continuous positive airway pressure
early term
elective
Gestational age
Infants
Mechanical ventilation
Morbidity
neonatal respiratory morbidity
Neonates
Newborn babies
Pediatrics
Population studies
Public health
Respiratory distress syndrome
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Summary:Background The recent increase in early term birth rates represents a growing challenge to public health given the association between early term birth and neonatal morbidities. We compared the risk of respiratory morbidity between early term and full‐term infants. Methods This retrospective cohort population study included infants born at 37–41 weeks’ gestation in a single tertiary care university hospital between 2014 and 2016. Newborns were categorized as early term (37–38 weeks) and full term (39–41 weeks). The primary outcome was respiratory morbidity. Results Of the 4,894 babies born at 37–41 weeks gestational age, 31% (n = 1,521) were early term births. The rate of cesarean deliveries, which were often elective, was higher for early term than for full‐term newborns (P = 0.001). Compared with full‐term newborns, early term newborns, had significantly higher risks of respiratory morbidity (13.2 % vs 6.3 %; odds ratio [OR], 2.28, P = 0.001), respiratory distress syndrome (0.5 % vs 0 %, P = 0.001), transient tachypnea of the newborn (11.2 % vs 4.6 %; OR, 2.72, P = 0.001), continuous positive airway pressure use (9.7 % vs 3.7 %; OR, 2.82, P = 0.001), and ventilation support (1.4% vs 0.4%; OR, 4.11, P = 0.001). Conclusions The elevated frequency of respiratory morbidity in early term infants emphasizes the importance of early term birth interventions. More than half of the early term births were elective cesarean sections; interventions should therefore focus on reducing elective cesarean procedures at the time of first birth.
ISSN:1328-8067
1442-200X
DOI:10.1111/ped.14437