Another outcome of neonatal intensive care: first year mortality and hospital morbidity.
OBJECTIVE
To determine first year mortality and hospital morbidity after neonatal intensive care.


METHODS
Cohort study of 6077 surviving infants inborn in one regional hospital in 1988. Nine hundred and eighty-eight received neonatal intensive care and 103 were very low birthweight (VLBW).


RESULTS
For infants who required care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the relative risk of dying before their first birthday was 3.6 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.5-8.8). This increased risk was associated with low birthweight (LBW) rather than requirement for NICU care. Of all inborn survivors, 10.4% were readmitted to hospital in the first year and 2.4% more than once. The readmission rate was 20% for NICU survivors and 30% for VLBW infants. The risk of hospitalization was independently associated both with NICU admission (odds ratio 2.3, CI 1.9-2.9) and with VLBW (OR 1.8, CI 1.1-3.0). The NICU survivors also had multiple admissions and prolonged hospital stays.


CONCLUSIONS
Both low birthweight and neonatal illness requiring intensive care are important indicators of continuing medical vulnerability over the first year of life.
Niven
G R
GR
Department of Paediatrics, National Women's Hospital, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Harding
J E
JE
D002423:Cause of Death; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay; D016015:Logistic Models; D009017:Morbidity; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010359:Patient Readmission; D017741:Survivors; D016896:Treatment Outcome