2026: Volume 7, Issue 2
Past Issues
PDFNeonatal Morbidity in Early-Term and Full-Term Newborns: A Retrospective Study at a Tertiary Hospital
Adelina Sitari¹*, Filipa Lima¹, Catarina Ferreira¹, Vera Santos², Maria Helena Neves de Queirós Gonçalves³
¹Department of Pediatrics, Unidade Local de Saúde do Algarve – Faro Hospital, Faro, Portugal
²Department of Neonatology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Unidade Local de Saúde do Algarve – Faro Hospital, Faro, Portugal
³Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve; Center for Statistics and Applications, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
*Corresponding author: Adelina Sitari Department of Pediatrics, Unidade Local de Saúde do Algarve – Faro Hospital. Rua Leão Penedo 8000-386, Faro, Portugal, E-mail: [email protected]
Received Date: July 10, 2026
Publication Date: July 25, 2026
Citation: Sitari A, Lima F, Ferreira C, Santos V, Gonçalves MH, et al. (2026). Neonatal Morbidity in Early-Term and Full-Term Newborns: A Retrospective Study at a Tertiary Hospital. Neonatal. 6(2):34.
Copyright: Sitari A, et al. © (2026).
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Early-term newborns (37–38 weeks) have increased neonatal morbidity compared with full-term newborns (39–41 weeks). This study aimed to compare maternal and neonatal characteristics between both groups.
Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at a Portuguese tertiary hospital including 390 term newborns. Maternal and neonatal variables were analyzed, including pregnancy complications, birth weight, hyperbilirubinemia, hypoglycemia, feeding pattern, neonatal intensive care admission, and referral at discharge. Student’s t-test and Chi-square test were applied.
Results: Early-term newborns had lower birth weight (2975.44 ± 458.71 g vs. 3383.49 ± 417.86 g; p<0.001), higher neonatal intensive care admission (8.6% vs. 3.3%; p=0.025), hyperbilirubinemia (11.2% vs. 4.7%; p=0.019), and referral at discharge (15.5% vs. 3.3%; p<0.001). Exclusive breastfeeding was less frequent in the early-term group (61.2% vs. 76.6%; p=0.004).
Conclusion: Early-term newborns showed increased neonatal morbidity compared with full-term newborns. These findings support strategies to avoid elective deliveries before 39 weeks.
Keywords: Early Term, Full Term, Neonatal Morbidity, Breastfeeding
