ArticlePediatrics2023
NICU Versus Mother/Baby Unit Admission for Low-Acuity Infants Born at 35 Weeks' Gestation.
Article in Pediatrics, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Outcomes of Clinically Stable 34-Week Preterm Infants Managed in Rooming-In Versus Neonatal Unit Admission.Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992) · 2026Observational
- Respiratory insufficiency, feeding issues and length of stay in 33-36 weeks post-menstrual age infants.Pediatric research · 2026Article
- Variation in NICU utilization: a narrative review and path forward.Journal of perinatology : official journal of the California Perinatal Association · 2025Review
- Understanding neonatal unit interventions and breastfeeding outcomes in two hospitals in Ghana to facilitate optimization of newborn care.BMC pediatrics · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo estimate the effect of NICU admission of low-acuity infants born at 35 weeks' gestation versus care in a mother/baby unit, on inpatient and outpatient medical outcomes.
methodsThis retrospective cohort study included 5929 low-acuity infants born at 350/7 to 356/7 weeks' gestation at 13 Kaiser Permanente Northern California hospitals with level II or level III NICUs between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2021. Exclusion criteria included congenital anomalies and early respiratory support or antibiotics. We used multivariable regression and regression discontinuity analyses to control for confounding variables.
resultsInfants admitted to the NICU within 2 hours of birth (n = 862, 14.5%) had a 58 hour adjusted (98-hour unadjusted) longer length of stay. NICU admission was associated with an increased probability of a length of stay ≥96 hours (67% vs 21%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.96-6.16). Regression discontinuity results suggested a similar (57 hour) increase in length of stay. Readmission risk, primarily for jaundice, was lower for those admitted to the NICU (3% vs 6%; aOR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.27-0.69). Infants admitted to the NICU were slightly less likely to be receiving exclusive breast milk at 6-month follow-up (15% vs 25%; aOR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.55-0.97; adjusted marginal risk difference -5%).
conclusionsAdmitting low-acuity infants born at 35 weeks' gestation to the NICU was associated with decreased readmission, but with longer length of stay and decreased exclusive breast milk feeding at 6 months. Routine NICU admission may be unnecessary for low-acuity infants born at 35 weeks' gestation.
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Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.