Neonatal survival and disability rate at age 18 months for infants born between 23 and 28 weeks of gestation, ,

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine gestational age - specific outcomes of infants born in a period of surfactant use. STUDY DESIGN: All 465 consecutive births between 23 and 28 weeksʹ gestation in a tertiary center from 1987 to 1992 were analyzed prospectively. At 18 monthsʹ corrected age, 217 of 254 (85%) survivors were evaluated. RESULTS: From 1987 and 1988 to 1991 and 1992 there was an increase in survival for infants born at 24 weeks (from 0% to 33%, p = 0.17), 25 to 26 weeks (38% to 71%, p< 0.005), and 27 to 28 weeks (66% to 84%, p< 0.05). At each weekly interval from 24 to 28 weeks of gestation the respective incidence of normality was 44%, 71%, 57%, 76%, and 72% (not significant) and the respective mean developmental quotient was 91 ± 17, 89 ± 25, 90 ± 24, 96 ± 15, and 96 ± 14 (not significant). CONCLUSIONS: Gestational age was strongly associated with outcome in terms of survival. Overall, 70% of children followed up were developing within the normal range. (AM J OBSTET GYNECOL 1996;174:833-8.)