Aim: The very low birth weight patients in Neonatal intensive Care Unit (NCIU) have been retrospectively analyzed in order to identify the ratio of morbidity and mortality.

Material and Method: In this study 94 very low birth weight premature babies, which were hospitalized in a two year period in our NICU and compatible with our study criteria were evaluated. The input data (gestational age, birth weight, perinatal risk factors, hospital stay, surfactant therapy, mechanical ventilation strategies, respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis, chronic lung disease and retinopathy of prematurity) of these babies were recorded and analyzed statistically.

Results: In our study the mortality ratio of very low birth weight infants was found to be 25.5%. The most common maternal risk factor was preeclampsia/eclampsia 26.3% which was compatible with the data of NICHD Neonatal Network Group. The ratios of RDS were found as 100% in group 1, 93.8% in group 2, 78.3% in group 3 and 47.6% in group 4 and there was no significant difference in gender distribution between RDS (+) and RDS (-) groups (p= 0.191). However probability of RDS in male premature babies was found 1.81 (0.74-4.42) times more risky than female premature babies.

Conclusions: We expect that the mortality ratio of 25.5% will decrease parallel to the improvement in prenatal care, incareased usage of steroids, neduction of neonatal infections, and improvement of transportation conditions.(Turk Arch Ped 2011; 46: 144-50)