Gender differences in survival rates among extreme low birth weight infants: Insight from a 16-year, single-centre study.

Abstract

BackgroundPreterm infants with a birth weight of less than 1000 grams (g), extreme low birth weight (ELBW) account for approximately 0.6% of all live births. Despite their small proportion, they contribute significantly to neonatal deaths, short-term morbidities, and long-term sequalae among survivors. This study aims to evaluate the survival trends of ELBW infants over the study period and the impact of gender on survival odds.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study involved ELBW infants admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit over 16 years (2008-2023). We examined their survival trends in context with their gender to analyze impact on survival odds.ResultsOut of 336 infants who met the inclusion criteria, 175 were males (52.1%) and 161 (47.9%) were females. The mean birth weight for males was 780 g (SD = 134 g), and 770 g (SD = 132) for females, while the mean gestational age (GA) was 26.2 weeks (SD = 2.14 week) for males and 26.6 weeks (SD = 2.18 week) for females. Female ELBW infants had a higher survival rate of 78.9% compared to 68.6% for males, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.712 (p value = 0.017). The survival advantage for females was more evident among birth weight of less than (<) 750 g (62% vs 44%) with an OR of 2.06 (p value = 0.023).ConclusionThis study demonstrated that female ELBW infants have a higher survival rate than males, particularly with birth weight under 750 g.