The purpose of this study is to:a) examine the temporal variations in the time to infant death, from perinatal related causes, by race, birth weight, and time period of birth; b) examine the assumption that the length of stay during the initial hospitalization after delivery and time to infant death from perinatal related causes are equivalent. Specifically, the study aims to 1) examine the temporal variations in time to infant death from perinatal related causes for each birth weight group and race group, between 1985 and 1995, 2) examine the association between the length of stay for the initial hospitalization of VLBW infants, and the time to their infant death from perinatal related causes, 3) examine the assumption that the length of stay of the initial hospitalization for VLBW infants and time to their infant death from perinatal related causes are equivalent, and 4) consider the implications of the findings for future perinatal policy and interventions. The study will accomplish these aims by using survival analysis (log lgostic), and logistic regression on three secondary data sets: US and South Carolina Vital Records Linked Live Birth/Infant Death Certificates for 1985-1995, and a data set compiled for this study that links South Carolina Vital Records Linked Live Birth/Infant Death Certificates with discharge data from the Level III Neonatal Nursery at the Medical University of South Carolina for VLBW infants during 1990-1995. This study builds upon research, providing possible racial disparity and birth weight insights into neonatal and postneonatal mortality during a time of great technological changes that have not been examined before. It also will provide insight about post discharge mortality, an issue that has not been considered since the 1980s. The findings from both these issues will be of interest to health delivery/utilization agencies, maternal and child health policy makers, health outcomes researchers, and clinicians.
