The Influence of Early‐Term Birth on NICU Admission, Length of Stay, and Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration

摘要: ABSTRACT Objective To examine hospitalization and breastfeeding (BF) experiences for early‐term (ET) full‐term (FT) infants to determine if differences existed between them. Design Retrospective descriptive cohort study. Setting United States 2009. Participants Stratified systematic sample of ET ( n = 4052) FT 6825) infants. Methods Infants whose mothers completed the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey were eligible inclusion. Extreme discordant phenotype design was used establish infant groups (ET = 37 weeks/260–267 days; FT = 40–41 weeks/282–294 days). Secondary data analysis neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, length stay (LOS), BF initiation duration, maternal reasons noninitiation, predictors start continuance. Results Early‐term had higher incidences NICU admission (OR 1.56), LOS 3–14 days 1.16), noninitiation 1.5) when compared (weighted analysis) gestation a predictor 1.42) duration fewer than 4 weeks 1.309) in nonweighted models. Other included African American race, White versus other non‐African less education, marital status , smoking, medical risk factors. Predictors shortened race age younger 20 years, smoking. Conclusions Differences experienced by identified. Maternal report consistent with studies based on records while new knowledge about patterns emerged.