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Objective  To compare admission and emergency visits of late preterm (34 0/7 –36 6/7 weeks) versus term infants (37 0/7 –41 6/7 weeks) in the first 5 years. Study Design  This population-based cohort study included all singletons and twins born alive at 34 0/7 to 41 6/7 weeks' gestation registered in a health administrative database in Ontario, Canada, between April 1, 2002 and December 31, 2012. Admissions and emergency visits from initial postnatal discharge to 5 years were compared between late preterm and term infants adjusting for maternal and infant characteristics. Results  A total of 1,316,931 infants (75,364 late preterm infants) were included. Late preterm infants had more frequent admissions than term infants in the first 5 years in both singletons (adjusted incidence rate ratio [95% confidence interval] = 1.46 [1.42–1.49]) and twins (1.21 [1.11–1.31]). The difference in admissions between late preterm and term infants were smaller in twins than singletons and decreased with children's ages. Twins had less frequent admissions than singletons for late preterm infants, but not for term infants. The emergency visits were more frequent in late preterm than term infants in all the periods. Conclusion  Admissions and emergency visits were more frequent in late preterm than term infants through the first 5 years. Admissions were less frequent in late preterm twins than singletons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Controversy exists as to whether birthweight-for-gestational age references used to classify infants as small for gestational age (SGA) should be country specific or based on an international (common) standard. We examined whether different birthweight-for-gestational age references affected the association of SGA with adverse outcomes among very preterm neonates.Methods: Singleton infants (n = 23 788) of 24(0) -28(6) weeks' gestational age in nine high-resource countries were classified as SGA (<10th centile) using common and country-specific references based on birthweight and estimated fetal weight (EFW). For each reference, the adjusted relative risk (aRR) for the association of SGA with composite outcome of mortality or major morbidity was estimated.Results: The percentage of infants classified as SGA differed slightly for common compared with country specific for birthweight references [9.9% (95% CI 9.5, 10.2) vs. 11.1% (95% CI 10.7, 11.5)] and for EFW references [28.6% (95% CI 28.0, 29.2) vs. 24.6% (95% CI 24.1, 25.2)]. The association of SGA with the composite outcome was similar when using common or country-specific references for the total sample for birthweight [aRRs 1.47 (95% CI 1.43, 1.51) and 1.48 (95% CI 1.44, 1.53) respectively] and for EFW references [aRRs 1.35 (95% CI 1.31, 1.38) and 1.39 (95% CI 1.35, 1.43) respectively].Conclusion: Small for gestational age is associated with higher mortality and morbidity in infants born <29 weeks' gestational age. Although common and country-specific birthweight/EFW references identified slightly different proportions of SGA infants, the risk of the composite outcome was comparable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aim of this study is to compare patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) management strategies and outcomes between the Neonatal Research Network of Japan (NRNJ) with proactive functional echocardiography and the Canadian Neonatal Network (CNN) with selective conventional echocardiography practice. Study Design Retrospective analyses examined very low-birth-weight infants admitted to the NRNJ or CNN in 2006 to 2008. Multivariable logistic regression analyses compared a composite outcome indicating a mortality or major morbidity (severe intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, severe retinopathy of prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or necrotizing enterocolitis) between networks, according to PDA diagnosis and treatment, and tested the association between PDA treatment and the composite outcome within networks. Results PDA treatment (NRNJ:CNN) with conservative management (8%:16%), indomethacin only (77%:59%), ligation only (1%:13%), or indomethacin and ligation (14%:13%) varied significantly between networks. The composite outcome was lower in NRNJ versus CNN only among infants with PDA (odds ratio: 0.70; 95% confidence interval: 0.62-0.80). Surgical ligation was associated with higher composite outcome only in CNN (odds ratio: 1.79; 95% confidence interval: 1.40-2.28). Conclusion Lower composite mortality/morbidity outcome in Japan versus Canada only among infants with PDA, and association of surgical ligation with higher mortality/ morbidity only in Canada, suggest differential PDAmanagement and ligation processes contribute to outcome variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]