The outcome of very low birth weight infants: past, present and future

This article is an attempt to review the impact of neotnatal intensive care on mortality and child-hood morbidity of VLBW infants. The evidence suggests that in the last decade there has been a significant reduction in neonatal mortality, particularly of the very tiny infants. However, although the data on morbidity is more difficult to interpret, there does not seem to have been a parallel decline in the rate of neurological impairment in infants. The implication of this for the future is discussed.