Preterm or small for gestational age (SGA) birth has long been one of Indonesia’s health problems.
Data from World Health Organization in 2012 pointed out that Indonesia is included in top 11 countries with more than 15% preterm births and also included in top ten countries with the highest number of SGA infants in the world.
“SGA infants have a high risk of neonatal mortality, one of the causes is respiratory distress,” said dr. Ekawaty Lutfia Haksari, MPH., Sp.A(k) during the public defence of doctoral thesis at Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing UGM.
Meanwhile, respiratory distress analysis of SGA infants is still controversial. Seeing the condition, the Department of Pediatric teaching staff attempted to further study the updated growth charts, neonatal mortality, as well as respiratory distress and its complications.
The research carried out by updating growth charts in Yogyakarta collected several facts. Based on the local growth chart, neonatal mortality in birth weight criteria with multivariate approach obtained highest hazard ratio in SGA infants with low birth weight.
From gestational age criteria, KIK and hazard ratio were highest in preterm SGA infants. Then, the total respiratory distress of preterm SGA infants was highest in the length of hospital stay, use of ventilator, and neonatal mortality KIK based on gestational age.
“That is why the updated growth charts are better and important for classification of SGA infant and babies with special needs,” she said.