The impact of the establishment of a neonatal intensive care unit on the outcome of very low birthweight infants at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

A retrospective analysis of the outcome of inborn very low birthweight infants admitted to the neonatal unit of the University Hospital of the West Indies pre- (period 1) and post- (period 2) establishment of a neonatal intensive care unit was conducted. During the study, 250 infants were admitted to the neonatal unit, 132 (53%) during period 1 and 118 (47%) during period 2. There was improved survival during period 2 when 81 (69%) infants survived compared to period 1 when 73 (55%) survived (p = 0.02). This increased survival was due to an increase in survival of infants weighing 750-999g in period 2 when 17 (65%) infants survived compared to 9 (29%) in period 1 (p < 0.05). There was an increase in the number of infants ventilated in period 2, 39 (33%) compared to 12 (9%) period 1 (p < 0.001). Infants who were ventilated in period 2 were less likely to die than those ventilated in period 1 (OR 0.05, CI 0.01, 0.66). After controlling for gender, weight, gestational age and ventilation, infants born in the second time period were less likely to die than those born in the first time period (OR 0.33, CI 0.14, 0.76). The establishment of a neonatal intensive care unit has resulted in improved survival of very low birthweight infants; further improvement in survival of these infants will be dependent on increased accessibility to surfactant therapy, initiation of total parenteral nutrition and availability of trained personnel.