Very low-birth weight infant. I. Influence of place of birth on survival.

In order to assess the influence of place of birth on the survival of the very low-birth weight (VLBW) infant, premature deliveries that occurred at hospitals located in an urban county were studied. All premature infants born alive during the years 1977 through 1979 whose birth weights ranged from 500 to 1,250 gm were included. The outcome for the VLBW infants born at the Ohio State University Regional Perinatal Center (OSU-RPC) was compared to that for VLBW infants delivered at the other five community hospitals with maternity services. Thirty-eight percent of the 270 VLBW neonates born at the community hospitals and 53% of the 186 VLBW premature infants delivered at the OSU-RPC survived. These differences are statistically significant at the p less than 0.01 level. Delivery at a perinatal center where comprehensive maternal-fetal-neonatal services are available improves survival for the VLBW infant.