Babies Admitted to NICU/ICU: Province of Birth and Mode of Delivery Matter

Abstract

Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) and intensive care units (ICUs) provide care for newborns in need of specialized medical attention. Across Canada, rates of NICU/ICU admission vary. Due to the high cost of monitoring and interventions these admissions cost more than general newborn stays-whether the newborn is in a specialized NICU or in an ICU in those facilities without specialized units for newborns. This study explores the variation in NICU/ICU admissions and the characteristics of mothers and newborns associated with an increased likelihood of NICU/ICU admission. We focus further on the association between NICU/ICU admission and Caesarean section (C-section). After excluding multiple births, preterm births, small for gestational age births and those delivered by women with select complications, we find an increased risk for NICU/ICU admission for babies born by C-section as their only indication. NICU/ICU admission following C-section alone may not represent the most desirable pathway of care for these newborns.

Predicting mortality and length-of-stay for neonatal admissions to private hospital neonatal intensive care units: a Southern African retrospective study

“…The infants delivered by caesarean section were on average weaker, sicker, and more premature than their vaginal delivery counterparts and were more readily admitted to NICU for observation only, as also observed in a recent Canadian study by Fallah et al 12 .…”

Frequência e características maternas e do recém nascido associadas à internação de neonatos em UTI no município de Joinville, Santa Catarina - 2012

“…A ocorrência de internação em UTI neonatal na população estudada foi semelhante à relatada em um estudo de abrangência nacional conduzido no Canadá entre 2006 e 2009, cujo percentual de internações dos recém-nascidos em UTI foi de 11,1% dos nascidos vivos. 22 Considerando a diferença das duas realidades, Joinville e Canadá, não fica clara uma explicação para a semelhança dos índices observados. Como o índice canadense é uma média nacional, as regiões menos desenvolvidas daquele país, poderiam ter contribuído para elevar o índice.…”

A Comparative Study of Maternal and Foetal Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Elective or Emergency Caesarean Section

“…Fogelson [31] Kamath and co-workers [32] also observed more elective repeat C-section babies were admitted to the NICU. Tita and co-workers [33] reported early delivery before 39 weeks for elective C-section in the United States was associated with an increase in admission to NICU.Fallah S reported that, the period of stay in NICU of the newborns delivered through C-section were more likely to be 28 days of birth than those delivered vaginally [34] .…”