title: Impact of Specialized Nursery Care for Late Preterm Infants on NICU Admission Rate and Length of Stay.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission rates and length of stay (LOS) of late preterm infants (LPIs) born before and after opening a specialized care nursery (SCN) at our academic, pediatric tertiary care center with ∼4,500 total deliveries annually.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of inborn LPIs (35(0/7)-36(6/7) weeks) who were asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic at birth and delivered 7 months before the opening of the SCN (pre-SCN) or 7 months subsequently (post-SCN). Infants were excluded for major congenital anomalies or other conditions requiring immediate NICU admission. The pre-SCN options for care were standard couplet care or NICU. The post-SCN options for care were standard couplet care, SCN, or NICU.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pre-SCN (n = 109), 73 (67%) infants received standard couplet care, while 36 (33%) infants were ever admitted/transferred to the NICU. Post-SCN (n = 112), 59 (53%) infants received standard couplet care, while 20 (18%) were ever admitted/transferred to the NICU. A total of 33 (29%) infants were admitted/transferred to the SCN and avoided a NICU stay. Median LOS for all infants was 3 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of LPIs admitted/transferred to the NICU decreased by ∼50% after the opening of the SCN. LOS did not differ by birth cohort, but did differ significantly by location of care (standard couplet care < SCN < NICU).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Neonatal-Perinatal Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Genetics Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Gene
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hallford
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas.
authors.forename: Candace
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robledo
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Edgardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Szyld
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Neonatal-Perinatal Section, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007224:Infant Care / Q000379:methods*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009725:Nurseries, Hospital; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013038:Specialization; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult