Project description:ImportanceRacial and ethnic minorities receive lower-quality health care than white non-Hispanic individuals in the United States. Where minority infants receive care and the role that may play in the quality of care received is unclear.ObjectiveTo determine the extent of segregation and inequality of care of very low-birth-weight and very preterm infants across neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in the United States.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study of 743 NICUs in the Vermont Oxford Network included 117 982 black, Hispanic, Asian, and white infants born at 401 g to 1500 g or 22 to 29 weeks' gestation from January 2014 to December 2016. Analysis began January 2018.Main outcomes and measuresThe NICU segregation index and NICU inequality index were calculated at the hospital level as the Gini coefficients associated with the Lorenz curves for black, Hispanic, and Asian infants compared with white infants, with NICUs ranked by proportion of white infants for the NICU segregation index and by composite Baby-MONITOR (Measure of Neonatal Intensive Care Outcomes Research) score for the NICU inequality index.ResultsInfants (36 359 black [31%], 21 808 Hispanic [18%], 5920 Asian [5%], and 53 895 white [46%]) were segregated among the 743 NICUs by race and ethnicity (NICU segregation index: black: 0.50 [95% CI, 0.46-0.53], Hispanic: 0.58 [95% CI, 0.54-0.61], and Asian: 0.45 [95% CI, 0.40-0.50]). Compared with white infants, black infants were concentrated at NICUs with lower-quality scores, and Hispanic and Asian infants were concentrated at NICUs with higher-quality scores (NICU inequality index: black: 0.07 [95% CI, 0.02-0.13], Hispanic: -0.10 [95% CI, -0.17 to -0.04], and Asian: -0.26 [95% CI, -0.32 to -0.19]). There was marked variation among the census regions in weighted mean NICU quality scores (range: -0.69 to 0.85). Region of residence explained the observed inequality for Hispanic infants but not for black or Asian infants.Conclusions and relevanceBlack, Hispanic, and Asian infants were segregated across NICUs, reflecting the racial segregation of minority populations in the United States. There were large differences between geographic regions in NICU quality. After accounting for these differences, compared with white infants, Asian infants received care at higher-quality NICUs and black infants, at lower-quality NICUs. Explaining these patterns will require understanding the effects of sociodemographic factors and public policies on hospital quality, access, and choice for minority women and their infants.
Project description:BackgroundSerratia spp. are opportunistic, multidrug resistant, Gram-negative pathogens, previously described among preterm infants in case reports or outbreaks of infection. We describe Serratia late-onset infection (LOI) in very preterm infants in a large, contemporary, nationally representative cohort.MethodsIn this secondary analysis of prospectively collected data of preterm infants born 401-1500 grams and/or 22-29 weeks gestational age from 2018 to 2020 at 774 Vermont Oxford Network members, LOI was defined as culture-confirmed blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid infection > 3 days after birth. The primary outcome was incidence of Serratia LOI. Secondary outcomes compared rates of survival and discharge morbidities between infants with Serratia and non-Serratia LOI.ResultsAmong 119,565 infants, LOI occurred in 10,687 (8.9%). Serratia was isolated in 279 cases (2.6% of all LOI; 2.3 Serratia infections per 1000 infants). Of 774 hospitals, 161 (21%) reported at least one Serratia LOI; 170 of 271 (63%) cases occurred at hospitals reporting 1 or 2 Serratia infections, and 53 of 271 (20%) occurred at hospitals reporting ≥5 Serratia infections. Serratia LOI was associated with a lower rate of survival to discharge compared with those with non-Serratia LOI (adjusted relative risk 0.88, 95% CI: 0.82-0.95). Among survivors, infants with Serratia LOI had higher rates of tracheostomy, gastrostomy and home oxygen use compared with those with non-Serratia LOI.ConclusionsThe incidence of Serratia LOI was 2.3 infections per 1000 very preterm infants in this cohort. Lower survival and significant morbidity among Serratia LOI survivors highlight the need for recognition and targeted prevention strategies for this opportunistic nosocomial infection.
Project description:ObjectiveThe study aim was to determine the relationship between hospitalization costs and mother's own milk (MOM) dose for very low birth weight (VLBW; < 1500 g) infants during the initial neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay. Additionally, because MOM intake during the NICU hospitalization is associated with a reduction in the risk of late-onset sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), we aimed to quantify the incremental cost of these potentially preventable complications of prematurity.MethodsThe study included 430 VLBW infants enrolled in the Longitudinal Outcomes of Very Low Birthweight Infants Exposed to Mothers' Own Milk prospective cohort study between 2008 and 2012 at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL, USA. NICU hospitalization costs included hospital, feeding, and physician costs. The average marginal effect of MOM dose and prematurity-related complications known to be reduced by MOM intake on NICU hospitalization costs were estimated using generalized linear regression.ResultsThe mean NICU hospitalization cost was $190,586 (standard deviation $119,235). The marginal cost of sepsis was $27,890 (95% confidence interval [CI] $2934-$52,646), of NEC was $46,103 (95% CI $16,829-$75,377), and of BPD was $41,976 (95% CI $24,660-59,292). The cumulative proportion of MOM during the NICU hospitalization was not significantly associated with cost.ConclusionsA reduction in the incidence of complications that are potentially preventable with MOM intake has significant cost implications. Hospitals should prioritize investments in initiatives to support MOM feedings in the NICU.
Project description:ImportanceThe Chinese Neonatal Network was established in 2018 and maintains a standardized national clinical database of very preterm or very low-birth-weight infants in tertiary neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) throughout China. National-level data on outcomes and care practices of very preterm infants (VPIs) in China are lacking.ObjectiveTo assess the care practices in NICUs and outcomes among VPIs in China.Design, setting, and participantsA cohort study was conducted comprising 57 tertiary hospitals from 25 provinces throughout China. All infants with gestational age (GA) less than 32 weeks who were admitted to the 57 NICUs between January 1 and December 31, 2019, were included.Main outcomes and measuresCare practices, morbidities, and survival were the primary outcomes of the study. Major morbidities included bronchopulmonary dysplasia, severe intraventricular hemorrhage (grade ≥3) and/or periventricular leukomalacia, necrotizing enterocolitis (stage ≥2), sepsis, and severe retinopathy of prematurity (stage ≥3).ResultsA total of 9552 VPIs were included, with mean (SD) GA of 29.5 (1.7) weeks and mean (SD) birth weight of 1321 (321) g; 5404 infants (56.6%) were male. Antenatal corticosteroids were used in 75.6% (6505 of 8601) of VPIs, and 54.8% (5211 of 9503)were born through cesarean delivery. In the delivery room, 12.1% of VPIs received continuous positive airway pressure and 26.7% (2378 or 8923) were intubated. Surfactant was prescribed for 52.7% of the infants, and postnatal dexamethasone was prescribed to 9.5% (636 of 6675) of the infants. A total of 85.5% (8171) of the infants received complete care, and 14.5% (1381) were discharged against medical advice. The incidences of the major morbidities were bronchopulmonary dysplasia, 29.2% (2379 of 8148); severe intraventricular hemorrhage and/or periventricular leukomalacia, 10.4% (745 of 7189); necrotizing enterocolitis, 4.9% (403 of 8171 ); sepsis, 9.4% (764 of 8171); and severe retinopathy of prematurity, 4.3% (296 of 6851) among infants who received complete care. Among VPIs with complete care, 95.4% (7792 of 8171) survived: 65.6% (155 of 236) at 25 weeks' or less GA, 89.0% (880 of 988) at 26 to 27 weeks' GA, 94.9% (2635 of 2755)at 28 to 29 weeks' GA, and 98.3% (4122 of 4192) at 30 to 31 weeks' GA. Only 57.2% (4677 of 8171) of infants survived without major morbidity: 10.5% (25 of 236) at 25 weeks' or less GA, 26.8% (48 of 179) at 26 to 27 weeks' GA, 51.1% (1409 of 2755) at 28 to 29 weeks' GA, and 69.3% (2904 of 4192) at 30 to 31 weeks' GA. Among all infants admitted, the survival rate was 87.6% (8370 of 9552)and survival without major morbidities was 51.8% (4947 of 9552).Conclusions and relevanceThe findings of this study suggest that survival and survival without major morbidity of VPIs in Chinese NICUs have improved but remain lower than in high-income countries. Comprehensive and targeted quality improvement efforts are needed to provide complete care for all VPIs, optimize obstetrical and neonatal care practices, and improve outcomes.
Project description:ObjectiveTo determine if hospital-level disparities in very low birth weight (VLBW) infant outcomes are explained by poorer hospital nursing characteristics.Data sourcesNurse survey and VLBW infant registry data.Study designRetrospective study of 8,252 VLBW infants in 98 Vermont Oxford Network hospital neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) nationally. NICUs were classified into three groups based on their percent of infants of black race. Two nurse-sensitive perinatal quality standards were studied: nosocomial infection and breast milk.Data collectionPrimary nurse survey (N = 5,773, 77 percent response rate).Principal findingsVLBW infants born in high-black concentration hospitals had higher rates of infection and discharge without breast milk than VLBW infants born in low-black concentration hospitals. Nurse understaffing was higher and practice environments were worse in high-black as compared to low-black hospitals. NICU nursing features accounted for one-third to one-half of the hospital-level health disparities.ConclusionsPoorer nursing characteristics contribute to disparities in VLBW infant outcomes in two nurse-sensitive perinatal quality standards. Improvements in nursing have potential to improve the quality of care for seven out of ten black VLBW infants who are born in high-black hospitals in this country.
Project description:ObjectivesTo examine how infant and maternal factors, hospital factors, and neighborhood-level factors impact or modify racial/ethnic disparities in human milk intake at hospital discharge among very low birth weight infants.Study designWe studied 14 422 infants from 119 California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative neonatal intensive care units born from 2008 to 2011. Maternal addresses were linked to 2010 census tract data, representing neighborhoods. We tested for associations with receiving no human milk at discharge, using multilevel cross-classified models.ResultsCompared with non-Hispanic whites, the adjusted odds of no human milk at discharge was higher among non-Hispanic blacks (aOR 1.33 [1.16-1.53]) and lower among Hispanics (aOR 0.83 [0.74-0.93]). Compared with infants of more educated white mothers, infants of less educated white, black, and Asian mothers had higher odds of no human milk at discharge, and infants of Hispanic mothers of all educational levels had similar odds as infants of more educated white mothers. Country of birth and neighborhood socioeconomic was also associated with disparities in human milk intake at discharge.ConclusionsNon-Hispanic blacks had the highest and Hispanic infants the lowest odds of no human milk at discharge. Maternal education and country of birth were the biggest drivers of disparities in human milk intake, suggesting the need for targeted approaches of breastfeeding support.
Project description:Bacterial sepsis is associated with high morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. However, diagnosis of sepsis and identification of the causative agent remains challenging. Our aim was to determine genome-wide expression profiles of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants with and without bacterial sepsis and assess differences.
Project description:Gut dysbiosis may precede neonatal sepsis, but the association is still not well-understood. The goal of this study is to investigate the association between gut microbiota and neonatal sepsis, and to seek the evidence of colonization of pathogenic bacteria in the gut before evolving into an invasive infection. A prospective cohort study examined fecal microbiota composition in preterm infants with and without sepsis. Thirty-two very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) preterm infants and 10 healthy term infants as controls were enrolled. The fecal samples collected from the participants at the first, fourth, and seventh weeks of life underwent 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing for measurement of the diversity and composition of the microbiota. The bacterial isolates causing neonatal sepsis were genome sequenced. PCR was performed to confirm the translocation of the bacteria from the gut to the blood. The results showed that VLBW preterm infants with sepsis had lower microbial diversity in the gut at birth compared to preterm infants without sepsis and term infants. The composition of gut microbiome in preterm infants was similar to healthy terms at birth but evolved toward dysbiosis with increasing Proteobacteria and decreasing Firmicutes weeks later. The strain-specific PCR confirmed the presence of causative pathogens in the gut in 4 (40%) out of 10 VLBW preterms with sepsis before or at onset of sepsis, and persistence of the colonization for weeks after antibiotic treatment. The same bacterial strain could horizontally spread to cause infection in other infants. Prolonged antibiotic exposure significantly reduced beneficial Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the gut. In conclusion, preterm infants with gut dysbiosis are at risk for neonatal sepsis, and the causative pathogens may be from the gut and persist to spread horizontally. The association of increased Proteobacteria abundance and decrease in microbiome diversity suggests the need for interventions targeting the gut microbiome to prevent dysbiosis and sepsis in VLBW preterm infants.
Project description:ImportanceDiabetes in pregnancy is associated with a 2-times to 3-times higher rate of very preterm birth than in women without diabetes. Very preterm infants are at high risk of death and severe morbidity. The association of maternal diabetes with these risks is unclear.ObjectiveTo determine the associations between maternal diabetes and in-hospital mortality, as well as neonatal morbidity in very preterm infants with a birth weight of less than 1500 g.Design, setting, participantsThis retrospective cohort study was conducted at 7 national networks in high-income countries that are part of the International Neonatal Network for Evaluating Outcomes in Neonates and used prospectively collected data on 76?360 very preterm, singleton infants without malformations born between January 1, 2007, and December 31, 2015, at 24 to 31 weeks' gestation with birth weights of less than 1500 g, 3280 (4.3%) of whom were born to diabetic mothers.ExposuresAny type of diabetes during pregnancy.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. The secondary outcomes were severe neonatal morbidities, including intraventricular hemorrhages of grade 3 to 4, cystic periventricular leukomalacia, retinopathy of prematurity needing treatment and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and other morbidities, including respiratory distress, treated patent ductus arteriosus, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals were estimated, adjusted for potential confounders, and stratified by gestational age (GA), sex, and network.ResultsThe mean (SD) birth weight of offspring born to mothers with diabetes was significantly higher at 1081 (262) g than in offspring born to mothers without diabetes (mean [SD] birth weight, 1027 [270] g). Mothers with diabetes were older and had more hypertensive disorders, antenatal steroid treatments, and deliveries by cesarean delivery than mothers without diabetes. Infants of mothers with diabetes were born at a later GA than infants of mothers without diabetes. In-hospital mortality (6.6% vs 8.3%) and the composite of mortality and severe morbidity (31.6% vs 40.6%) were lower in infants of mothers with diabetes. However, in adjusted analyses, no significant differences in in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR, 1.16 (95% CI, 0.97-1.39) or the composite of mortality and severe morbidity (adjusted OR, 0.99 (95% CI, 0.88-1.10) were observed. With few exceptions, outcomes of infants born to mothers with and without diabetes were similar regardless of infant sex, GA, or country of birth.Conclusions and relevanceIn high-resource settings, maternal diabetes is not associated with an increased risk of in-hospital mortality or severe morbidity in very preterm infants with a birth weight of fewer than 1500 g.