Social disparities negatively impact neonatal follow-up clinic attendance of premature infants discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit

Neonatal neurodevelopmental follow-up clinic provides continued surveillance and assessment of high-risk premature infants. We hypothesized that attrition is associated with race and social factors. We performed a retrospective cohort study of neonates born at 26-32 weeks gestation who were admitted...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of perinatology 2020-05, Vol.40 (5), p.790-797
Main Authors: Swearingen, Corinne, Simpson, Pippa, Cabacungan, Erwin, Cohen, Susan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Care and treatment
Cigarette smoking
Continuum of care
Demographic aspects
Design factors
Dysplasia
Gestation
Gestational age
Health aspects
Infants
Infants (Premature)
Intensive care
Management
Neonates
Newborn babies
Pediatric research
Premature babies
Premature birth
Race
Social aspects
Social classes
Social factors
Statistical analysis
Target recognition
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Summary:Neonatal neurodevelopmental follow-up clinic provides continued surveillance and assessment of high-risk premature infants. We hypothesized that attrition is associated with race and social factors. We performed a retrospective cohort study of neonates born at 26-32 weeks gestation who were admitted to a level IV neonatal intensive care unit. Maternal and neonatal characteristics and follow-up attendance were collected. Statistical analysis was performed with significance set at p value < 0.05. In total, 237 neonates met study criteria. There was a 62% loss to follow-up over 2 years. Factors associated with loss to follow-up included older gestational age, African American race, and maternal cigarette smoking. Protective factors included older maternal age, a neonatal diagnosis of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and longer hospital length of stay. Social disparities negatively impact neonatal follow-up clinic attendance. Efforts to identify and target high-risk populations must be started during initial hospitalization before infants are lost to follow-up.
ISSN:0743-8346
1476-5543
DOI:10.1038/s41372-020-0659-4