Neonatal Outcomes in Preterm Infants by Gestational Age: Insights from a Retrospective Cohort Study

A recent cohort study provides new data on short-term neonatal outcomes across late‑preterm, early‑term, and full‑term births, quantifying risks that inform timing of elective delivery.

The cohort included 660 consecutive infants at a single tertiary center (retrospective births in 2024), stratified into late‑preterm (34+0–36+6 weeks), early‑term (37+0–38+6 weeks), and full‑term (39+0–41+6 weeks). Prespecified short‑term endpoints were NICU admission and duration, length of stay, delivery‑room and ongoing respiratory support, clinically significant weight loss (>8%), and re‑hospitalizations within the first year.

NICU admissions occurred in 78 neonates (11.8%); rates and NICU stay were highest in late‑preterm infants compared with early‑term and full‑term infants. Early‑term infants required more respiratory support than full‑term peers and showed greater short‑term respiratory morbidity.

Clinically significant weight loss (>8% during initial hospitalization) was more frequent in early‑term than full‑term infants and was intermediate between late‑preterm and full‑term groups.

First‑year readmissions were higher in early‑term versus full‑term infants (p=0.005). Collectively, these findings identify measurable short‑term vulnerabilities among early‑term and late‑preterm infants relative to full‑term infants.

These data indicate that early‑term births carried measurable increases in neonatal morbidity and higher first‑year readmission rates and strengthen the rationale for avoiding elective delivery before 39 weeks when maternal and fetal conditions allow.