Table 1.
Characteristics of infants with at least one re-hospitalization after NICU discharge versus those never readmitted
| Infants with at least one re-hospitalization (N=838) | Infants never re-hospitalized (N=1,437) | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neonatal characteristics | |||
| Gestational age (weeks), mean (SD) | 26.1 (1.4) | 26.5 (1.3) | <0.01 |
| Small for gestational age; n, (%) | 71 (8.5) | 95 (6.6) | 0.10 |
| Male; n, (%) | 468 (55.9) | 725 (50.5) | 0.01 |
| Antenatal steroids; n, (%) | 730 (89.7) | 1,276 (90.8) | 0.41 |
| Broncho-pulmonary dysplasia; n, (%) | 456 (54.6) | 570 (39.7) | <0.01 |
| Home oxygen; n, (%) | 227 (27.2) | 139 (9.7) | <0.01 |
| Respirator CPAP/Tracheostomy; n, (%) | 21 (2.5) | 11 (0.8) | <0.01 |
| Severe neurological injury; n, (%) | 114 (13.9) | 125 (9.0) | <0.01 |
| Necrotizing enterocolitis; n, (%) | 86 (10.3) | 76 (5.3) | <0.01 |
| Gavage feeding at NICU discharge; n, (%) | 71 (8.5) | 28 (2.0) | <0.01 |
| LOS in the NICU (days), mean (SD) | 90.0 (45.5) | 73.5 (36.7) | <0.01 |
| Sociodemographic characteristics; n, (%) | |||
| At least one caregiver born in Canada | 615 (73.4) | 887 (61.7) | <0.01 |
| Caucasian | 529 (69.8) | 787 (66.0) | <0.01 |
| Indigenous | 45 (5.9) | 42 (3.5) | |
| Others | 184 (24.3) | 364 (30.5) | |
| Paid employment | 615 (81.6) | 1,014 (85.6) | 0.01 |
| Social welfare | 99 (13.1) | 106 (9.0) | |
| Other | 40 (5.3) | 65 (5.5) | |
| Education some college or higher | 546 (70.4) | 974 (73.3) | 0.14 |
| High school and lower | 230 (29.6) | 354 (26.7) | |
| Sibling living in home | 518 (62.6) | 803 (56.9) | 0.01 |
| Geographic characteristics; n | |||
| Atlantic provinces1 | 59 | 77 | <0.01 |
| Quebec | 224 | 231 | |
| Ontario | 282 | 622 | |
| Canadian prairies2 | 221 | 362 | |
| British Columbia | 50 | 143 | |
| Living over 100 km from NICU | 166 (21.6) | 230 (17.5) | 0.02 |
CPAP Continuous positive airway pressure; LOS Length of stay; NICU Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; SD Standard deviation.
1Atlantic Provinces: Newfoundland & Labrador, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia.
2Canadian prairies: Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.