Trends in Perinatal Practices and Neonatal Outcomes of Very Low Birth Weight Infants during a 16-year Period at NEOCOSUR Centers

Objective: To describe trends in mortality, major morbidity, and perinatal care practices of very low birth weight infants born at NEOCOSUR Neonatal Network centers from January 1, 2001, through December 31, 2016. Study design: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from all inborn infants with a birthweight of 500-1500 g and 23-35 weeks of gestation. Results: We examined data for 13 987 very low birth weight infants with a mean birth weight of 1081 ± 281 g and a gestational age of 28.8 ± 2.9 weeks. Overall mortality was 26.8% without significant changes throughout the study period. Decreases in early onset sepsis from 6.3% to 2.8% (P