Short-term outcomes of HIV-exposed and HIV-unexposed preterm, very low birthweight neonates: a longitudinal, hospital-based study

Respiratory Interventions for Preterm Infants in LMICs: A Prospective Study From Cape Town, South Africa

Background

Preterm birth is a global public health issue and complications of preterm birth result in the death of approximately 1 million infants each year, 99% of which are in low-and-middle income countries (LMIC). Although respiratory interventions such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and surfactant have been shown to improve the outcomes of preterm infants with respiratory distress, they are not readily available in low-resourced areas. The aim of this study was to report the respiratory support needs and outcomes of preterm infants in a low-resourced setting, and to estimate the impact of a lack of access to these interventions on neonatal mortality.

Methods

We conducted a six-month prospective observational study on preterm infants <1,801 g admitted at Groote Schuur Hospital and Mowbray Maternity Hospital neonatal units in Cape Town, South Africa. We extrapolated results from the study to model the potential outcomes of these infants in the absence of these interventions.

Results

Five hundred and fifty-two infants (552) <1,801 g were admitted. Three hundred (54.3%) infants received CPAP, and this was the initial respiratory intervention for most cases of respiratory distress syndrome. Surfactant was given to 100 (18.1%) infants and a less invasive method was the most common method of administration. Invasive mechanical ventilation was offered to 105 (19%) infants, of which only 57 (54.2%) survived until discharge from hospital. The overall mortality of the cohort was 14.1% and the hypothetical removal of invasive mechanical ventilation, surfactant and CPAP would result in an additional 157 deaths and increase the overall mortality to 42.5%. A lack of CPAP availability would have the largest impact on mortality and result in the largest number of additional deaths (109).

Conclusion

This study highlights the effect that access to key respiratory interventions has on preterm outcomes in LMICs. CPAP has the largest impact on neonatal mortality and improving its coverage should be the primary goal for low-resourced areas to save newborn lives.

Modelling mortality within 28 days among preterm infants at a tertiary hospital in Lusaka, Zambia: a retrospective review of hospital-based records

Introduction

globally, almost half of all deaths in children under five years of age occur among neonates. We investigated the predictors of mortality within 28 days among preterm infants at a tertiary hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.

Methods

we reviewed admission records linked to birth, mortality, and hospital discharge from 1^st January 2018 to 30^th September 2019. Information was retrieved with a follow-up period of 28 days post-delivery to discharge/mortality. We used the Weibull hazards regression to establish the best predictor model for mortality among the neonates.

Results

a total of 3237 case records of women with a median age of 27 years (IQR, 22-33) were included in the study, of which 971 (30%) delivered term infants and 2267 (70%) preterm infants. The overall median survival time of the infants was 98 hours (IQR, 34-360). Preterm birth was not associated with increased hazards of mortality compared to term birth (p=0.078). Being in the Kangaroo Mother Care compared to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and a unit increase in birth weight were independently associated with reduced hazards of mortality. On the other hand, having hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, experiencing difficulty in feeding and vaginal delivery compared to caesarean section independently increased the hazards of mortality.

Conclusion

having hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, vaginal delivery, and experiencing difficulty in feeding increases the risk of mortality among neonates. Interventions to reduce neonatal mortality should be directed on these factors in this setting.

Preterm birth and severe morbidity in hospitalized neonates who are HIV exposed and uninfected compared with HIV unexposed

OBJECTIVES

Infants who are HIV exposed but uninfected (HEU) compared with HIV unexposed uninfected (HUU) have an increased risk of adverse birth outcomes, morbidity and hospitalization. In the era of universal maternal antiretroviral treatment, there are few insights into patterns of neonatal morbidity specifically.

DESIGN

A prospective cohort study.

METHODS

We compared neonatal hospitalizations among infants who were HEU (n = 463) vs. HUU (n = 466) born between 2017 and 2019 to a cohort of pregnant women from a large antenatal clinic in South Africa. We examined maternal and infant factors associated with hospitalization using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Hospitalization rates were similar between neonates who were HEU and HUU (13 vs. 16%; P = 0.25). Overall, most hospitalizations occurred directly after birth (87%); infection-related causes were identified in 34%. The most common reason for hospitalization unrelated to infection was respiratory distress (25%). Very preterm birth (<32 weeks) (29 vs. 11%; P = 0.01) as well as very low birthweight (<1500 g) (34 vs. 16%; P = 0.02) occurred more frequently among hospitalized neonates who were HEU. Of those hospitalized, risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission was higher in neonates who were HEU (53%) than HUU (27%) [risk ratio = 2.1; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.3-3.3]. Adjusted for very preterm birth, the risk of ICU admission remained higher among neonates who were HEU (aRR = 1.8; 95% CI 1.1-2.9).

CONCLUSION

Neonates who were HEU (vs. HUU) did not have increased all-cause or infection-related hospitalization. However, very preterm birth, very low birthweight and ICU admission were more likely in hospitalized neonates who were HEU, indicating increased severity of neonatal morbidity.

The use of data in resource limited settings to improve quality of care

Quality improvement is driven by benchmarking between and within institutions over time and the collaborative improvement efforts that stem from these comparisons. Benchmarking requires systematic collection and use of standardized data. Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) have great potential for improvements in newborn outcomes but serious obstacles to data collection, analysis, and implementation of robust improvement methodologies exist. We review the importance of data collection, internationally recommended neonatal metrics, selected methods of data collection, and reporting. The transformation from data collection to data use is illustrated by several select data system examples from LMIC. Key features include aims and measures important to neonatal team members, co-development with local providers, immediate access to data for review, and multidisciplinary team involvement. The future of neonatal care, use of data, and the trajectory to reach global neonatal improvement targets in resource-limited settings will be dependent on initiatives led by LMIC clinicians and experts.