Volume 30, Issue 5 pp. 450-461
Original Article

Country-Specific vs. Common Birthweight-for-Gestational Age References to Identify Small for Gestational Age Infants Born at 24–28 weeks: An International Study

Lisa J. Martin

Lisa J. Martin

Maternal-Infant Care Research Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital, Canadian Neonatal Network, Toronto, ON, Canada

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Gunnar Sjörs

Gunnar Sjörs

Swedish Neonatal Quality Register, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

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Brian Reichman

Brian Reichman

Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Centre, Israel Neonatal Network, Tel Hashomer, Israel

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Brian A. Darlow

Brian A. Darlow

Australia and New Zealand Neonatal Network, Department of Paediatrics, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand

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Naho Morisaki

Naho Morisaki

Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Neonatal Research Network Japan, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan

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Neena Modi

Neena Modi

Neonatal Data Analysis Unit, Section of Neonatal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK Neonatal Collaborative, London, UK

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Dirk Bassler

Dirk Bassler

Swiss Neonatal Network, Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

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Lucia Mirea

Lucia Mirea

Maternal-Infant Care Research Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital, Canadian Neonatal Network, Toronto, ON, Canada

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Mark Adams

Mark Adams

Swiss Neonatal Network, Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

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Satoshi Kusuda

Satoshi Kusuda

Neonatal Research Network Japan, Maternal and Perinatal Center, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

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Kei Lui

Kei Lui

Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network, Royal Hospital for Women, National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistic Unit, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, Australia

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Laura San Feliciano

Laura San Feliciano

Spanish Neonatal Network, Hospital Universitario de Salamanca, Valencia, Spain

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Stellan Håkansson

Stellan Håkansson

Swedish Neonatal Quality Register, Department of Pediatrics/Neonatal Services, Umeå University Hospital, Umeå, Sweden

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Tetsuya Isayama

Tetsuya Isayama

Maternal-Infant Care Research Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital, Canadian Neonatal Network, Toronto, ON, Canada

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Rintaro Mori

Rintaro Mori

Neonatal Research Network Japan, Department of Health Policy, National Center for Child Health and Development, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan

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Max Vento

Max Vento

Spanish Neonatal Network, Health Research Institute La Fe, Valencia, Spain

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Shoo K. Lee

Shoo K. Lee

Maternal-Infant Care Research Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital, Canadian Neonatal Network, Toronto, ON, Canada

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Prakesh S. Shah

Corresponding Author

Prakesh S. Shah

Maternal-Infant Care Research Centre, Mount Sinai Hospital, Canadian Neonatal Network, Toronto, ON, Canada

Correspondence:

Prakesh S Shah, Department of Paediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital, Rm 19-231F, 600 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 1X5, Canada

E-mail: [email protected].

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on behalf of the International Network for Evaluating Outcomes (iNeo) of Neonates Investigators

the International Network for Evaluating Outcomes (iNeo) of Neonates Investigators

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First published: 16 May 2016
Citations: 17

Abstract

Background

Controversy exists as to whether birthweight-for-gestational age references used to classify infants as small for gestational age (SGA) should be country specific or based on an international (common) standard. We examined whether different birthweight-for-gestational age references affected the association of SGA with adverse outcomes among very preterm neonates.

Methods

Singleton infants (n = 23 788) of 240–286 weeks' gestational age in nine high-resource countries were classified as SGA (<10th centile) using common and country-specific references based on birthweight and estimated fetal weight (EFW). For each reference, the adjusted relative risk (aRR) for the association of SGA with composite outcome of mortality or major morbidity was estimated.

Results

The percentage of infants classified as SGA differed slightly for common compared with country specific for birthweight references [9.9% (95% CI 9.5, 10.2) vs. 11.1% (95% CI 10.7, 11.5)] and for EFW references [28.6% (95% CI 28.0, 29.2) vs. 24.6% (95% CI 24.1, 25.2)]. The association of SGA with the composite outcome was similar when using common or country-specific references for the total sample for birthweight [aRRs 1.47 (95% CI 1.43, 1.51) and 1.48 (95% CI 1.44, 1.53) respectively] and for EFW references [aRRs 1.35 (95% CI 1.31, 1.38) and 1.39 (95% CI 1.35, 1.43) respectively].

Conclusion

Small for gestational age is associated with higher mortality and morbidity in infants born <29 weeks' gestational age. Although common and country-specific birthweight/EFW references identified slightly different proportions of SGA infants, the risk of the composite outcome was comparable.

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