Indexes of blood cells analysis and clinical characteristics in premature infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome at different gestational ages

  Objective  To explore the indexes of blood cells analysis and clinical characteristics in premature infants with neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) at different gestational ages.

  Methods  A total of 128 premature infants with NRDS from January 2019 to June 2020 were selected and divided into extremely early premature infants group (n=56), medium-term premature infants group (n=32) and advanced premature infants group (n=40) according to gestational age. The indexes of blood cells analysis in mothers and infants, perinatal risk factors, clinical characteristics, complications and outcomes were analyzed retrospectively among the three groups.

  Results  The neutrophil count and percentage of neutrophils in the extremely early premature infants group were significantly lower than those in the advanced premature infants group, while the percentage of lymphocytes in the extremely early premature infants group was significantly higher than that in the advanced premature infants group (P < 0.05). The white blood cell count, neutrophil count and percentage of neutrophils in the extremely early premature infants group were significantly higher than those in the medium-term premature infants group and the advanced premature infants group, while the percentage of lymphocytes in the extremely early premature infants group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in the ratio of prenatal glucocorticoid use between the extremely early premature infants group and the medium-term premature infants group as well as the advanced premature infants group (P < 0.05). The oxygen therapy time, hospitalization time and incidence rate of complication in the extremely early premature infants group were significantly longer or higher than those in the medium-term premature infants group and the advanced premature infants group, while the discharge rate due to improvement of disease in the extremely early premature infants group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups (P < 0.05).

  Conclusion  When the gestational ages of premature infants with NRDS are relatively smaller, the following situations such as a higher white blood cell count in pregnant women, a higher incidence rate of perinatal risk factors, a longer oxygen therapy time, variety of complications and a longer hospital stay are more likely to happen. Therefore, gestational age should be fully considered in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of NRDS in order to improve the prognosis of premature infants.