DETECTION OF RISK FACTORS IN INFANT PARTICIPANTS IN A FOLLOW-UP PROGRAM IN BRAZIL

Formiga C.K.M.R.1, Vieira M.E.B.2,3, Silva L.P.2, Silva-Hamu T.C.D.2, Tudella E.4, Linhares M.B.M.3
1Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Aplicadas a Produtos para a Saúde (CAPS), Goiania, Brazil, 2Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Physical Therapy, Goiania, Brazil, 3Universidade de São Paulo, Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, 4Federal University of São Carlos, Physical Therapy, São Carlos, Brazil

Background: High-risk infants are defined as those who are exposed to situations where there is greater risk of an unfavorable outcome and higher mortality and morbidity rates than expected. Risk factors are preventable when there is an early intervention, which provides evidence of the need for attention regarding the identification of such risk factors by health care services.

Purpose: To detect the main risk factors for the health of infant participants of a follow-up program in Brazil.

Methods: Prospective-longitudinal study, carried out with 540 high-risk infants followed in Mother’s and Children’s Hospital (HMI) of Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil. All biological data from the infants’ prenatal, birth and postnatal stages were collected through assessment with mothers and medical chart reviews. The data collected were analyzed by using binary logistic regression in order to identify the highest risk variables concerning infants’ health, considering the level of statistical significance of p ≤ 0.05.

Results: In the predictive analysis, the findings showed that the neonatal risk factor was statistically associated with lower Apgar scores at five minutes (p=0.001), male gender (p=0.006) and longer hospital stay (p 0.001). High-risk neonates were more likely to show lesions according to brain ultrasonography exams (p 0.001). Moreover, the long stay in hospital was related to mixed breastfeeding after discharge (p 0.001).

Conclusion(s): In this study, the major risk factors for the health of high-risk infants included low Apgar score in the fifth minute, being male, long hospital stay, presence of abnormal brain ultrasound and mixed breastfeeding after discharge. Results point to the need of careful attention by professionals to such risk factors in follow-up programs of high-risk infants.

Implications: Early identification of the risk factors that require priority attention in follow-up programs is necessary, which will enable decision making in reducing neonatal mortality. This shall also avoid sequelae and negative consequences in children’s development.

Funding acknowledgements: National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás (FAPEG), BIP- UEG.

Topic: Paediatrics

Ethics approval: Committee on Human and Animal Research and Ethics of the General Hospital of Goiania (CEPHA-HGG No. 73/2004), BR.


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