Presented at the Neonatal Society 2002 Spring Meeting.

Wright H, Sharp M, Hagan R, French N, Evans S

King Edward Memorial Hospital, Perth, Western Australia 6008.

Background: Concerns persist about long-term outcomes of extremely preterm infants (Wood NS et al. N Engl J Med 2000; 343: 378-84).

Objective: To report outcomes of infants born at <26 weeks in Western Australia (WA) from 01/01/90 to 31/12/96.

Methods: Information from the statewide notification system, maternal and infant notes was collected. Outcomes included survival, retinopathy requiring surgery, chronic lung disease, intellectual and neurosensory deficits after age three.

Results: The proportion of livebirths, NICU admissions and survivors increased with gestation (table). Most livebirths were born in the perinatal centre (86%).

Gestational age, antenatal steroids and perinatal centre delivery were associated with increased survival. Morbidity was common: retinopathy requiring surgery 9%; supplemental oxygen at term 28%; severe disability 8%; cerebral palsy 11%. Mean IQ was 92 ± 15 (85% assessed).

Conclusions: Survival at these gestations in a geographical region with a highly centralised perinatal service is associated with a low rate of severe handicap and the majority being free of any long term disability.