Background: Preterm birth is the most common cause of antepartum hospitalization. Currently little is known about neonatal morbidity in late preterm period.
Objective: To compare the short-term morbidity of infants born at term (37 0/7-41 0/7 weeks gestational age) of low-risk pregnancies with newborns in the late preterm period (34 0/7 to 36 6/7 weeks gestational age) of low-risk pregnancies.
Material and method: retrospective study of births in the Hospital Metropolitano, Secretaria de Salud del Estado de Nuevo León (Mexico) between January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2007. The study included preterm births in the late period of low risk pregnancies in spontaneous labor, and three control cases matched at term of the same features for each of the late preterm. Neonatal complications were compared among those born in the late preterm period to term infants.
Results: Late preterm births accounted for 2.2% of births and had higher incidences of respiratory distress syndrome, longer hospital stay, jaundice requiring phototherapy and hypoglycemia than those born at term.
Conclusion: Late preterm births are a vulnerable group with significant neonatal morbidity. It is necessary to design strategies to improve neonatal outcomes in late preterm group.