BACKGROUND
Background: Admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), is costly and has been associated with financial and emotional stress amongst families. Digital health may be well-equipped to impact modifiable health behaviors that contribute to NICU admission rates.
OBJECTIVE
Objective: To investigate how utilization of a comprehensive prenatal digital health platform is associated with gestational age at birth and mechanisms to reduce risk of admission to the NICU.
METHODS
Methods: Data were extracted from 3326 users who enrolled in a comprehensive digital health platform between January 2020 and May 2022. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between duration of digital health utilization and gestational age at birth and mechanisms to reduce risk of a NICU admission. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the associations between gestational age at birth and mechanisms to reduce risk of a NICU admission, and the likelihood of a NICU admission. All analyses were stratified by presence of any gestational conditions during pregnancy.
RESULTS
Results: For users both with and without gestational conditions, the duration of digital health utilization was positively associated with gestational age at birth and several mechanisms that have the potential to reduce risk of a NICU admission, including, learning medically accurate information, managing mental health, and identifying warning signs during pregnancy. For users with and without gestational conditions, an increase in gestational age at birth was associated with a decreased likelihood of NICU admission. Among users who developed gestational conditions, those who reported that the platform helped them understand warning signs during pregnancy had lower odds of a NICU admission [OR(95% CI)]= 0.63 (0.45, 0.89), p=0.009].
CONCLUSIONS
Conclusion: Digital health utilization may aid in increasing gestational age at birth and reduce risk of NICU admission.