Fellow Kyungpook University Children's hospital daegu, Taegu-jikhalsi, Republic of Korea
Background: The length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and hospital outcomes can be influenced by various factors, including maternal conditions, disease, neonatal diseases, and procedures. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of birth weight recovery on the NICU length of stay and hospital outcomes in premature and low birth weight infants. Design/Methods: This retrospective study included 128 neonates born at Kyungpook National University Children’s Hospital who were either born before 32 weeks of gestation or had a birth weight under 1500 g (Table 1). Hospital outcomes were analyzed through multiple regression analysis and included birth weight recovery period post-birth, time from lowest weight to birth weight recovery, mortality, necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC), retinopathy of prematurity, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, hydrocephalus, and overall length of hospital stay. Results: Among the 128 neonates analyzed, those in the group with a birth weight recovery period of 7-8 days post-birth had a significantly higher incidence of NEC compared to those in the ≥11 days group (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.15-12.9; Table 2). Additionally, the length of stay was also significantly longer for this group. Conversely, in comparison to the group with a birth weight recovery period ≥7 days from the lowest weight, the ≤2 days group (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.06-0.59; Table 3), 3-4 days group (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.16-0.46; Table 3), and 5-6 days group (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.08-0.78; Table 3) showed a significantly lower incidence of NEC. Similarly, the length of stay was significantly reduced in the 3-4 days and 5-6 days groups compared to the ≥7 days group.
Conclusion(s): The 7-8 days group showed a significant increase in NEC incidence and length of stay compared to the ≥11 days group for birth weight recovery period post-birth. In contrast, all groups showed a significantly lower incidence of NEC compared to the ≥7 days group for birth weight recovery from the lowest weight. Additionally, the length of stay was reduced in the 3-4 days and 5-6 days groups.
Comparison of Maternal and Infant Factors by Birth Weight Recovery Period
Clinical Outcomes and Events by Birth Weight Recovery Period from at Birth
Clinical Outcomes and Events by Birth Weight Recovery Period from the Lowest Body Weight