Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To compare the length of hospital stay for moderate and late preterm infants (MLPIs) born at tertiary care (level III) perinatal centers versus secondary care perinatal centers (level II).
METHODS
This was a retrospective cohort study of MLPIs admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in Calgary, Canada, between January 2016 and December 2017. We excluded infants with major congenital anomalies and planned palliative care. Multivariable logistic and quantile regression analyses were used to adjust for potential confounding factors.
RESULTS
Of 1958 infants who met inclusion criteria, 676 (34.5%) infants were born at a tertiary care perinatal center with a level III NICU, and 1284 (65.5%) were born in secondary care perinatal centers with a level II NICU. Infants born at level II centers had shorter durations of hospital stay (adjusted MD -1.0 day, 95% CI -1.7 to -0.4 and adjusted HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.28) and tube feeding (adjusted MD -2.2 day; 95% CI -2.9 to -1.4), and a higher rate of breastmilk feeding at discharge (aOR 1.34; 95%CI 1.01 to 1.77).
CONCLUSION
Delivery of MLPIs in facilities with secondary care perinatal centers is associated with shorter hospital stays and higher breastmilk feeding rates at discharge.