INTRODUCTION: Advances in perinatal care have resulted in increased survival rates for extremely low birth weight children, but it is fundamental to know if these improved survival rates have been accompanied by increased impairment rates.OBJECTIVE: To compare, over two different time periods, the survival and disability rates at 2 years of corrected age, among newborns < or =32 weeks and weighed < or = 1500 g at birth.METHODOLOGY: Follow-up study that included 963 children born in the hospital between 1991 and 2004 who met the study criteria. Neonatal morbidity, mortality and disability to 2 years of corrected age in 2 time periods 1991-1998 (period I) and 1999-2004 (period II) have been evaluated and analysed by subgroups of weight (weight < 1000 g and 1000-1500 g).RESULTS: Mortality decreased significantly during the second period, both for children with birth weight <1000 g (32% vs 44%) as for those with birth weight between 1000 and 1500 g ( 3,6% vs 9%). Analysing all children < or = 1500 g, an increase in the survivors without disability was observed in the second period (69% vs 60%, p=0.003); but by subgroups this increase only was significant in children with birth weight 1000-1500 g (67% vs 82%).CONCLUSIONS: In our study, globally analysing all children with birth weight < or = 1500 g, it can be seen that there has been an increase in survival without an increase in the frequency of disabilities. Analysing by weight subgroups, survival has increased in both groups, but disability has decreased only in the birth weight 1000-1500 g subgroup.
Age Factors Follow-Up Studies