Early hypoxemia burden is strongly associated with severe intracranial hemorrhage in preterm infants

J Perinatol. 2019 Jan;39(1):48-53. doi: 10.1038/s41372-018-0236-2. Epub 2018 Sep 28.

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to define the association between the burden of severe hypoxemia (SpO2 ≤70%) in the first week of life and development of severe ICH (grade III/IV) in preterm infants.

Study design: Infants born at <32 weeks or weighing <1500 g underwent prospective SpO2 recording from birth through 7 days. Severe hypoxemia burden was calculated as the percentage of the error-corrected recording where SpO2 ≤70%. Binary logistic regression was used to model the relationship between hypoxemia burden and severe ICH.

Results: A total of 163.3 million valid SpO2 data points were collected from 645 infants with mean EGA = 27.7 ± 2.6 weeks, BW = 1005 ± 291 g; 38/645 (6%) developed severe ICH. There was a greater mean hypoxemia burden for infants with severe ICH (3%) compared to those without (0.1%) and remained significant when controlling for multiple confounding factors.

Conclusion: The severe hypoxemia burden in the first week of life is strongly associated with severe ICH.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Correlation of Data
  • Female
  • Gestational Age
  • Humans
  • Hypoxia* / blood
  • Hypoxia* / diagnosis
  • Hypoxia* / epidemiology
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Infant, Premature
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases* / blood
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Infant, Premature, Diseases* / epidemiology
  • Infant, Very Low Birth Weight
  • Intracranial Hemorrhages* / blood
  • Intracranial Hemorrhages* / diagnosis
  • Intracranial Hemorrhages* / epidemiology
  • Intracranial Hemorrhages* / etiology
  • Male
  • Oximetry / methods
  • Oxygen / analysis
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • United States / epidemiology

Substances

  • Oxygen