Expression of HER-2/neu oncogene in normal, hyperplastic, and malignant endometrium

The development of new technologies in neonatal intensive care which appeared this last decade increased the viability of premature newborns and contributed to the increase in the number of admissions of very low birth weight (VLBW) newborns in the intensive neonatal care services (12.6% of admissions in 1987, 15.2% in 1996). In a retrospective epidemiology survey in French speaking Belgian Community, we collected the data of 1521 newborns whose birth weight was under 1500 g, from January 1990 to December 1994, in order to improve our knowledge or regional mortality and morbidity rates and to estimate the impact of new procedures. We do not notice any variation of annual mortality (+/- 20%), nor of morbidity (sequelae risks to survivors at the departure of the hospital +/- 23%) on the global population during the survey period. However the mortality of infants born between 30 and 33 weeks drops dramatically (17% in 1990, 3.6% in 1994). As it has been demonstrated in randomised surveys, we recover the beneficial effect of antenatal corticotherapy which allows us to reduce to more than 50% the mortality of newborns from treated mothers (11% mortality versus 24%). In comparison to figures of international literature, our survival rate without sequelae is at least 10% lower than Américan results for infants whose birth weight is < 1000 g and at least 5% lower for infants between 1000 and 1500 g. In conclusion, although the introduction of surfactant and high frequency ventilation during this period, mortality rate of VLBW infants doesn't seem to decrease significantly from 1990 to 1994. However, multivariate statistical study of predictable mortality and morbidity factors need to be performed in order to define or promote preventive strategy.