Comparing mortality risk models in VLBW and preterm infants: systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To compare the prognostic accuracy of six neonatal illness severity scores (CRIB, CRIB II, SNAP, SNAP II, SNAP-PE, and SNAP-PE II), birthweight (BW), and gestational age (GA) for predicting pre-discharge mortality among very low birth weight (VLBW) infants (<1500 g) and very preterm infants (<32 weeks' gestational age). Study design PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus were the data sources searched for studies published before January 2019. Data were extracted, pooled, and analyzed using random-effects models and reported as AUC with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Of 1659 screened studies, 24 met inclusion criteria. CRIB was the most discriminate for predicting pre-discharge mortality [AUC 0.88 (0.86-0.90)]. GA was the least discriminate [AUC 0.76 (0.72-0.80)]. Conclusions Although the original CRIB score was the most accurate predictor of pre-discharge mortality, significant heterogeneity between studies lowers confidence in this pooled estimate. A more precise illness severity score to predict pre-discharge mortality is still needed.