Morbidity and mortality of children with very low and extremely low body weight at birth: risk factors and ways to reduce them

The clinical review of international data about morbidity and mortality of children with very low and extremely low birth weight is presented in this article. The risk factors of unfavorable outcomes and increasing possibilities for survival were analyzed. It was defined that the morbidity and mortality of very preterm infants, especially with the extreme degree of immaturity, vary greatly and depend on the socio-economic background, level of medical care and baseline characteristics of the newborn. However, every newborn, even in relatively equal conditions, has a "degree of stability", which is determined by biological and genetic factors, the characteristics of the course of the perinatal period and numerous external reasons. The author focuses on the most vulnerable and challenging population of children born in the zone limit of viability earlier than 25 weeks of gestation and weighing less than 700g. She noted that the detailed analysis of the causes of death with the release of the risk factors of adverse outcome is extremely important, especially for relatively promising group of children born with a gestational age of 25 weeks or more. They are the reserve on ways to further reduce neonatal and infant mortality in Russia.