Endotypes and complications of very and extremely preterm birth: Evidence from meta-analysis and meta-regression

Babies born prematurely are more likely to die prematurely or suffer from long-term illness. This thesis is a collection of studies aimed at better understanding the cause and treatment of preterm birth. For this purpose, a method called meta-analysis was used, which makes it possible to summarise a large amount of scientific evidence.
Based on the results, premature babies can be divided into two endotypes (causes of premature birth): infection or high blood pressure in the mother. The endotype strongly determines how early the baby is born, the risk of illness and the baby's long-term development. These results are supported by hundreds of studies around the world.
This knowledge is an important step towards more targeted and personalised treatment for premature babies. Depending on the endotype of the preterm baby, better choices for treatment can be made, and the damage of preterm birth can be reduced.