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. 2019 Sep;39(9):1219-1228.
doi: 10.1038/s41372-019-0422-x. Epub 2019 Jul 11.

Inadequate oral feeding as a barrier to discharge in moderately preterm infants

Laura Edwards  1   2 , C Michael Cotten  1 , P Brian Smith  1 , Ronald Goldberg  1 , Shampa Saha  3 , Abhik Das  4 , Abbot R Laptook  5 , Barbara J Stoll  6 , Edward F Bell  7 , Waldemar A Carlo  8 , Carl T D'Angio  9 , Sara B DeMauro  10 , Pablo J Sanchez  11 , Seetha Shankaran  12 , Krisa P Van Meurs  13 , Betty R Vohr  5 , Michele C Walsh  14 , William F Malcolm  15 ; Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Affiliations

Inadequate oral feeding as a barrier to discharge in moderately preterm infants

Laura Edwards et al. J Perinatol. 2019 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: The objectives describe the frequency that inadequate oral feeding (IOF) is the reason why moderately preterm (MPT) infants remain hospitalized and its association with neonatal morbidities.

Study design: Prospective study using the NICHD Neonatal Research Network MPT Registry. Multivariable logistic regression was used to describe associations between IOF and continued hospitalization at 36 weeks postmenstrual age (PMA).

Result: A total of 6017 MPT infants from 18 centers were included. Three-thousand three-seventy-six (56%) remained hospitalized at 36 weeks PMA, of whom 1262 (37%) remained hospitalized due to IOF. IOF was associated with RDS (OR 2.02, 1.66-2.46), PDA (OR 1.86, 1.37-2.52), sepsis (OR 2.36, 95% 1.48-3.78), NEC (OR 16.14, 7.27-35.90), and BPD (OR 3.65, 2.56-5.21) compared to infants discharged and was associated with medical NEC (OR 2.06, 1.19-3.56) and BPD (OR 0.46, 0.34-0.61) compared to infants remaining hospitalized for an alternative reason.

Conclusion: IOF is the most common barrier to discharge in MPT infants, especially among those with neonatal morbidities.

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Conflict of interest statement

Potential Conflicts of Interest: the authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Comparison of Center Effect on IOF as a Reason for Hospitalization at 36 weeks PMA The red line represents the reference center, which had the fewest patients hospitalized for IOF at 36 weeks PMA
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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