Nearly one in every 10 infants in the United States is born preterm, or before 37 weeks of gestational age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infants born with very low birthweights — under 3.3 pounds at birth — are disproportionately very preterm — 29-weeks gestation or earlier. These infants make up 1% of births, but account for more than half of infant deaths in the United States each year. The mortality rate for infants born very preterm, and length of hospital stay, may vary across health systems, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State.
Led by Jeannette Rogowski, professor of health policy and administration at Penn State, the team found that where a very preterm baby is born or receives care immediately after birth can increase or decrease the chance of survival by two percentage points. The findings, which the researchers said demonstrate potential for quality improvement among the nation’s neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in health systems, were published in JAMA Network Open.
A previous study led by Rogowski found that approximately 84% of very preterm infants are born in a hospital that is part of a consolidated multi-hospital system — a system with two or more hospitals. Among pediatric patients, very preterm infants are the most vulnerable population. However, the variation in the quality of care for very preterm infants across health systems was unknown. This study was the first to address this question, according to Rogowski.