Comparison of Rehospitalization during the First Year of Life in Normal and Low Birth Weight Infants Discharged from NICU.
- Author:
Sae Ah MIN
1
;
Myung Won JEON
;
Sun Hee YU
;
Oh Kyung LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Pediatrics, Presbyterian Medical Center, Jeonju, Korea. minsa1111@yahoo.co.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Rehospitalization;
Normal birth weight infants;
Low birth weight infants
- MeSH:
Follow-Up Studies;
Hospitalization;
Humans;
Infant*;
Infant, Low Birth Weight*;
Infant, Newborn;
Intensive Care, Neonatal;
Medical Records;
Parturition;
Respiration, Artificial;
Retrospective Studies;
Risk Factors;
Survivors;
Telephone
- From:Journal of the Korean Pediatric Society
2002;45(12):1503-1511
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: Although the short- and long-term outcomes of low birth weight(LBW) neonatal intensive care unit(NICU) survivors have been extensively studied, much less information is available for normal birth weight(NBW) infants(greater than 2,500 gm) who require NICU care. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the neonatal hospitalizations and one year health status of 302 NBW and 131 LBW admissions to our NICU. Information on the neonatal hospitalization was obtained from a review of medical records. Postdischarge health status was collected by using telephone surveys and medical records. RESULTS: After initial discharge, 21.2% of the NBW infants and 23% of the LBW infants required rehospitalization during the first year of life and there was no significant difference between the two groups. The reasons for rehospitalization of the NBW infants included respiratory disorders (32.1%), G-I problems(26.2%), genitourinary problems(11.9%), surgery(10.7%), cardiac problems(7.1 %), and congenital/developmental problems(1.2%). For the LBW infants, the order of frequency was the same, with the percentages slightly different. Neonatal risk factors related to the rehospitalization of the NBW infants included mechanical ventilation, duration of mechanical ventilation, and congenital anomaly. But no positive significant correlation of neonatal risk factors with rehospitalization of LBW infants was found. CONCLUSIONS: Low and normal birthweight NICU survivors were rehospitalized at similar rates. The most common cause of rehospitalization was respiratory problems. Neonatal risk factors related to rehospitalization of NBW infants were mechanical ventilation, duration of mechanical ventilation, and congenital anomaly. However, no positive significant correlation of neonatal risk factors with rehospitalization of LBW infants was found. The data suggests that NBW infant survivors, as well as LBW infant NICU survivors, require close follow up.
