title: Rehospitalization in the first 2 years of life in children born preterm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aim of the study is to investigate the frequency of and predictors for rehospitalization within the first 2 years of life among preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  All children born before 32 weeks of gestation in Northern Tyrol between January 2003 and July 2008 were prospectively enrolled. Data on rehospitalizations were obtained from hospital admission records. The association between candidate risk factors and readmission was analysed by means of logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first and second years of life, 151 and 93 of 377 children (40.1% and 24.7%), respectively, were readmitted to one of the hospitals in Northern Tyrol. The most common causes of rehospitalization were respiratory disorders, accounting for 42.1% and 47.4% of total readmissions in the first and second years of life. Chronic lung disease (CLD), male sex and smoking in pregnancy were risk conditions relevant to readmission in the first year of life, but only CLD in the second year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infants born before 32 weeks of gestation have a high risk of rehospitalization with respiratory illness significantly contributing to postdischarge morbidity. Neonatal intensive care should aim to further improve respiratory health in preterm infants, and adequate follow-up services must be offered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Neuropaediatrics and Metabolic Disorders, Innsbruck Medical University, Austria.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ralser
authors.forename: Wilfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haberland
authors.forename: Franz-Martin
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: Karl-Heinz
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Gutenberger
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strobl
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kiechl-Kohlendorfer
mesh_terms: D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects