Predictors of Early (23-25 Weeks’ Gestation) Versus Late (26-29 Weeks’) Delivery among Very Preterm Infants (N=101) Born during 1998-2003 at a Tertiary Care Center in Karachi, Pakistan

Muhammad Yawar Yakoob*

Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, Pakistan

^*Correspondance to: Muhammad Yawar Yakoob 

 PDF  Full Text DOI: 10.25107/2474-1647.3576

Abstract

We have published analyses on characteristics and predictors of survival among a cohort of very preterm infants. We decided to divide our dataset into early very preterm (23 to 25 weeks, n=13) and late very preterm (26 to 29 weeks, n=88) infants and study predictors of early delivery versus late. This was retrospective medical records review based study on very preterm infants (N=101, born ≥ 23 and ≤ 29 weeks of gestation) at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan during a 5.5-year period of 1998-2003. We conducted complete-case logistic regression model analysis (N=72) using variables of hemoglobin at delivery, maternal age, parity, presence or absence of complications, history of preterm delivery, vaginal bleed, steroids use, and year and time of birth. All variables were included in the model to mutually adjust for the confounding effect of each other and P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analysis showed none of the variables were significantly associated with early versus late delivery with only maternal age associated with a trend (one year increase associated with 15% reduced odds; Odds Ratio (OR) =0.85, 0.71–1.02; P=0.07). The ORs and P-values for other variables are also shown in Table 1. Multiple imputation for missing Hb variable conditional on all explanatory variables made maternal age significant (P=0.045), while all other variables remained non-significant. Youden’s Index of Hb and maternal age with maximum sensitivity and specificity is 9.6 gm/dL and 25.00 years. There are no antenatal/ intrapartum predictors identified. The pathophysiology of prematurity does not vary in this time window of gestation for a cut-off at 25 weeks.

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Cite the article

Yakoob MY. Predictors of Early (23-25 Weeks’ Gestation) Versus Late (26-29 Weeks’) Delivery among Very Preterm Infants (N=101) Born during 1998-2003 at a Tertiary Care Center in Karachi, Pakistan. Clin Surg. 2022; 7: 3576..