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Premature Infants

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Frailty in Children

Abstract

Preterm birth is a leading cause of neonatal and childhood mortality worldwide. Advances in medical technologies and therapeutic perinatal and neonatal care have substantially improved the rates of survival among preterm infants, even at the lowest gestational ages. However, the functional and structural immaturity of preterm infants’ organs and systems is responsible for the development of multiple short- and long-term complications, which significantly contribute to the healthcare and socioeconomic burden of preterm birth. Among these complications, the most common include respiratory distress, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, persistent patency of the ductus arteriosus, necrotizing enterocolitis, brain injury, poor nutrition and growth, and sensorineural deficits. In turn, these conditions variously contribute to the development of adverse neurocognitive outcomes, with relevant long-term implications. This chapter aims to review the main risk factors associated with preterm birth, the clinical features of preterm infants, and the most frequent complications encountered in this frail population, highlighting the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and a long-term neurodevelopmental follow-up.

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Abbreviations

AGA:

Adequate for gestational age

AREDF:

Absent or reversed end-diastolic flow

BPD:

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia

BSID:

Bayley Scales of Infant Development

BW:

Birth weight

CBF:

Cerebral blood flow

CHDs:

Congenital heart defects

COX:

Cyclooxygenase

CP:

Cerebral palsy

CPAP:

Continuous positive airway pressure

CRP:

C-Reactive protein

DA:

Ductus arteriosus

ELBW:

Extremely low birth weight

FiO2:

Fractional inspired oxygen

GA:

Gestational age

IUGR:

Intrauterine growth restriction

IVF:

In vitro fertilization

IVH:

Intraventricular hemorrhage

LBW:

Low birth weight

LGA:

Large for gestational age

LISA:

Less invasive surfactant administration

NEC:

Necrotizing enterocolitis

NICU:

Neonatal intensive care unit

NSAIDs:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

PCA:

Postconceptional age

PDA:

Patent ductus arteriosus

PH:

Pulmonary hemorrhage

PHI:

Parenchymal hemorrhagic infarction

PHVD:

Posthemorrhagic ventricular dilatation

PROM:

Premature rupture of membranes

PVL:

Periventricular leukomalacia

PVR:

Pulmonary vascular resistance

RDS:

Respiratory distress syndrome

ROP:

Retinopathy of prematurity

SGA:

Small for gestational age

VEGF:

Vascular endothelial growth factor

VLBW:

Very low birth weight

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Silvia Martini & Luigi Corvaglia

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  1. Silvia Martini
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  2. Luigi Corvaglia
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Correspondence to Silvia Martini .

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  1. Pediatric Surgery Unit, Sant’Orsola Hospital IRCCS, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Mario Lima

  2. Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Sant’Orsola Hospital IRCCS, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Maria Cristina Mondardini

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Martini, S., Corvaglia, L. (2023). Premature Infants. In: Lima, M., Mondardini, M.C. (eds) Frailty in Children. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24307-3_2

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