Impact of Late Preterm Birth on Neonatal Intensive Care Resources in a Tertiary Perinatal Center

Objective To examine delivery indications, short-term morbidities, and use of resources for late preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at a tertiary perinatal center. Study Design Data for 1137 inborn infants 34 0/7 to 36 6/7 weeks' gestational age discharged between July 2004 and December 2009 were collected from an electronic NICU database. Birth information was obtained from maternal charts. Results Forty-two percent of late preterm infants were admitted to the NICU. Their mean (+/- standard deviation) birth weight was 2347 +/- 569 g; 15.1% were small for gestational age, 35.5% were multiples, and 17.8% had an antenatally diagnosed anomaly. Most births (52%) occurred following spontaneous rupture of membranes or labor. Cesarean section rate was 56.8%. Mortality rate was 1.2%. Most frequent morbidities were transient tachypnea (18.8%), cardiac or other congenital anomaly (16.8%), and respiratory distress syndrome (7.4%). Although 41.5% received ventilatory support, duration was short (1.1 +/- 3.1 days). Mean length of NICU stay was 8.1 +/- 9.3 days with 38% transferred to community hospitals before discharge. Conclusion For many late preterm infants admitted to the NICU, the duration of intensive therapy was short and some required no interventions. One impact of late preterm birth was bed occupancy.