Cost of living for infants weighing 1,000 grams or less at birth.
This article reports the in-hospital cost of caring for 75 infants weighing 1,000 gm or less at birth who were born during the 2 1/2-year period between January 1973 and June 1975. Thirty infants (40%) survived. Nineteen of 27 infants tested (70%) appear to be neurologically and developmentally "normal" at 1 to 3 years of age. Hospital charges were adjusted to September 1976 rates and corrected for a 94% collection rate. Physicians' fees represented less than 5% of the total bill and were not included. The average adjusted daily and total costs for the 45 infants who died were $825 and $14,236, respectively. The average adjusted daily and total costs for the 30 survivors were $450 and $40,287, respectively. The average adjusted total cost per "normal" survivor was $88,058. It is our belief that the outcome justifies this expense. Society, however, must be the ultimate judge.
D002657:Child Development; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D009460:Neurologic Examination