Unstudied infants: outcomes of moderately premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.
BACKGROUND
Newborns of 30-34 weeks gestation comprise 3.9% of all live births in the United States and 32% of all premature infants. They have been studied much less than very low birthweight infants.


OBJECTIVE
To measure in-hospital outcomes and readmission within three months of discharge of moderately premature infants.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study including retrospective chart review and telephone interviews after discharge.


METHODS
Ten birth hospitals in California and Massachusetts.


METHODS
Surviving moderately premature infants born between October 2001 and February 2003.


METHODS
(a) Occurrence of assisted ventilation during the hospital stay after birth; (b) adverse in-hospital outcomes-for example, necrotising enterocolitis; (c) readmission within three months of discharge.


RESULTS
With the use of prospective cluster sampling, 850 eligible infants and their families were identified, randomly selected, and enrolled. A total of 677 families completed a telephone interview three months after hospital discharge. During the birth stay, these babies experienced substantial morbidity: 45.7% experienced assisted ventilation, and 3.2% still required supplemental oxygen at 36 weeks. Readmission within three months occurred in 11.2% of the cohort and was higher among male infants and those with chronic lung disease.


CONCLUSIONS
Moderately premature infants experience significant morbidity, as evidenced by high rates of assisted ventilation, use of oxygen at 36 weeks, and readmission. Such morbidity deserves more research.
Escobar
G J
GJ
Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Division of Research, Perinatal Research Unit, Oakland, CA 94612, USA. gabriel.escobar@kp.org
McCormick
M C
MC
Zupancic
J A F
JA
Coleman-Phox
K
K
Armstrong
M A
MA
Greene
J D
JD
Eichenwald
E C
EC
Richardson
D K
DK
D001724:Birth Weight; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D010102:Oxygen Inhalation Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome