Table 4.
Childhood Outcomes at 18–22 Months’ Corrected Age by Neurodevelopmental Impairment.
| Outcome | No NDI | Potential/Mild NDI | Moderate NDI | Severe NDI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (N = 825) | (N = 1576) | (N = 657) | (N = 425) | |
| n/N (%) | n/N (%) | n/N (%) | n/N (%) | |
| Medical care since NICU discharge | ||||
| Rehospitalized | 331 (40) | 733/1574 (47) | 328 (50) | 300 (71) |
| Mean number (SD) | 1.7 (1.3) | 2.0 (2.9) | 2.2 (2.1) | 3.2 (3.1) |
| Reason | ||||
| Respiratory | 154/327 (47) | 385/726 (53) | 186/322 (58) | 173/300 (58) |
| Neurologic | 3/327 (1) | 31/726 (4) | 17/322 (5) | 34/300 (11) |
| Surgery | 99/327 (30) | 184/726 (25) | 87/322 (27) | 103/300 (34) |
| Infection | 82/327 (25) | 149/726 (21) | 73/322 (23) | 77/300 (26) |
| Growth/Nutrition | 8/327 (2) | 43/726 (6) | 37/322 (11) | 37/300 (12) |
| Mean number of outpatient subspecialists (SD) | 2.8 (1.3) | 3.0 (1.4) | 3.2 (1.6) | 4.1 (1.5) |
| Surgeries since NICU discharge | ||||
| Tympanostomy tubes | 88/725 (12) | 149/1398 (11) | 55/583 (9) | 57/361 (16) |
| Tracheostomy | 3/725 (0) | 9/1398 (1) | 9/583 (2) | 27/361 (7) |
| Eye surgery | 37/725 (5) | 116/1398 (8) | 95/583 (16) | 85/361 (24) |
| Hernia surgery | 81/725 (11) | 166/1398 (12) | 68/583 (12) | 62/361 (17) |
| Gastrostomy tube | 15/725 (2) | 74/1398 (5) | 51/583 (9) | 82/361 (23) |
| Fundoplication | 7/725 (1) | 16/1398 (1) | 12/583 (2) | 23/361 (6) |
| Shunt for hydrocephalus | 3/725 (0) | 26/1398 (2) | 15/583 (3) | 41/361 (11) |
| Bronchoscopy | 16/725 (2) | 56/1398 (4) | 35/583 (6) | 50/361 (14) |
| Medication use during prior 3 months | ||||
| Anti-reflux | 64 (8) | 190 (12) | 121 (18) | 140 (33) |
| Asthma/BPD | 111/659 (17) | 239/1213 (20) | 117/487 (24) | 81/264 (31) |
| Anti-seizure | 2 (0) | 15 (1) | 15 (2) | 45 (11) |
| Thyroid hormone | 11 (1) | 19 (1) | 11 (2) | 16 (4) |
| Anti-spasticity | 0 (0) | 1 (0) | 6 (1) | 33 (8) |
| Current medical equipment | ||||
| Apnea monitor | 1 (0) | 22 (1) | 10 (2) | 23 (5) |
| Oxygen | 8 (1) | 37 (2) | 43 (7) | 92 (22) |
| Ventilator/CPAP | 0 (0) | 8 (1) | 13 (2) | 33 (8) |
| Wheelchair/adapted stroller | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 5 (1) | 43 (10) |
| Braces/orthotics | 18 (2) | 96 (6) | 72 (11) | 113 (27) |
| Walker/stander | 1 (0) | 14 (1) | 24 (4) | 71 (17) |
| Corrective lenses | 24 (3) | 108 (7) | 72 (11) | 78 (19) |
| Hearing aids/cochlear implants | 8 (1) | 23 (1) | 13 (2) | 60 (14) |
| Current medical support services | ||||
| Visiting nurse | 17 (2) | 41 (3) | 36 (5) | 47 (11) |
| Home nurse | 6 (1) | 22 (1) | 38 (6) | 55 (13) |
| OT/PT | 138 (17) | 525 (33) | 307 (47) | 317 (75) |
| Speech therapy | 169 (21) | 428 (27) | 233 (36) | 223 (53) |
| Social worker | 49 (6) | 134 (9) | 90 (14) | 94 (22) |
| Current custody and child care arrangements | ||||
| Under state supervision | 25 (3) | 45 (3) | 38 (6) | 33 (8) |
| Center-based daycare | 131/824 (16) | 210/1565 (13) | 59/651 (9) | 25/416 (6) |
| Home-based daycare | 138/824 (17) | 196/1565 (13) | 58/651 (9) | 21/416 (5) |
| Babysitter/Au Pair | ||||
| Relative | 121 (15) | 228 (14) | 81 (12) | 51 (12) |
| Non-relative | 59 (7) | 69 (4) | 25 (4) | 16 (4) |
| Medical child carea | 4/824 (0) | 22/1565 (1) | 38/651 (6) | 45/416 (11) |
| Current feeding status | ||||
| Tube fed | 12 (1) | 67 (4) | 72 (11) | 133 (31) |
| Parenteral nutrition | 2 (0) | 5 (0) | 2 (0) | 5 (1) |
| Feeds self | 790 (96) | 1432 (91) | 525 (80) | 188 (44) |
All outcomes were significantly different (p < 0.05) across NDI categories after controlling for gestational age at birth (in weeks), except for parenteral nutrition.
NICU neonatal intensive care unit, SD standard deviation, BPD bronchopulmonary dysplasia, CPAP continuous positive airway pressure, OT occupational therapy, PT physical therapy.
aDefined as requiring nursing or other specialized supervision either at home or in a non-home facility.