Table 2 Demographic data of enrolled neonates*
| Â | L-arginine group | Placebo group | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|  | Amin et al. N = 75 | Polycarpou et al. N = 40 | Amin et al. N = 77 | Polycarpou et al. N = 43 |
Male sex, n (%) | 46 (61) | 17 (42.5) | 43 (56) | 19 (44.2) |
Birth weight, g, mean | 952 | 1168 | 955 | 1127 |
Gestational age, wk, mean | 27.4 | 29.2 | 27.6 | 28.8 |
Caesarian section, n (%) | ND | 30 (75) | ND | 32 (74.4) |
Vaginal delivery, n (%) | ND | 10 (25) | ND | 11 (25.6) |
IUGR, n (%) | 5 (7) | 16 (40) | 7 (9) | 14 (32.6) |
Maternal antibiotics during labor, n (%) | 45 (60) | 14 (35) | 50 (65) | 18 (42) |
Breast milk, n (%) | ND | 7 (17.5) | ND | 5 (11.6) |
Preterm formula, n (%) | ND | 33 (82.5) | ND | 38 (88.4) |
Apgar score at 5Â minutes, median | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
Antenatal steroids, n (%) | 66 (88) | 32 (80) | 66 (86) | 34 (79.1) |
IVH at study entry grade <2 | 9 (12) | ND | 12 (16) | ND |
Postnatal steroids, n (%) | 23 (31) | ND | 15 (19) | ND |
Hypotension after birth, n (%) | 30(40) | ND | 24 (31) | ND |
Umbilical arterial cord pH, median | 7.25 | ND | 7.27 | ND |
Umbilical arterial cord Base excess | -4.3 | ND | -3.8 | ND |
Umbilical artery catheter, n (%) | 50 (67) | ND | 57 (74) | ND |