BACKGROUND: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a costly morbidity in very low birth weight (VLBW; <1,500 g birth weight) infants that increases hospital length of stay and requires expensive treatments. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the cost of NEC as a function of dose and exposure period of human milk (HM) feedings received by VLBW infants during the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization and determine the drivers of differences in NICU hospitalization costs for infants with and without NEC. METHODS: This study included 291 VLBW infants enrolled in an NIH-funded prospective observational cohort study between February 2008 and July 2012. We examined the incidence of NEC, NICU hospitalization cost, and cost of individual resources used during the NICU hospitalization. RESULTS: Twenty-nine (10.0%) infants developed NEC. The average total NICU hospitalization cost (in 2012 USD) was USD 180,163 for infants with NEC and USD 134,494 for infants without NEC (p = 0.024). NEC was associated with a marginal increase in costs of USD 43,818, after controlling for demographic characteristics, risk of NEC, and average daily dose of HM during days 1-14 (p < 0.001). Each additional ml/kg/day of HM during days 1-14 decreased non-NEC-related NICU costs by USD 534 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Avoidance of formula and use of exclusive HM feedings during the first 14 days of life is an effective strategy to reduce the risk of NEC and resulting NICU costs in VLBW infants. Hospitals investing in initiatives to feed exclusive HM during the first 14 days of life could substantially reduce NEC-related NICU hospitalization costs.
BACKGROUND:Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a costly morbidity in very low birth weight (VLBW; <1,500 g birth weight) infants that increases hospital length of stay and requires expensive treatments. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the cost of NEC as a function of dose and exposure period of humanmilk (HM) feedings received by VLBW infants during the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization and determine the drivers of differences in NICU hospitalization costs for infants with and without NEC. METHODS: This study included 291 VLBW infants enrolled in an NIH-funded prospective observational cohort study between February 2008 and July 2012. We examined the incidence of NEC, NICU hospitalization cost, and cost of individual resources used during the NICU hospitalization. RESULTS: Twenty-nine (10.0%) infants developed NEC. The average total NICU hospitalization cost (in 2012 USD) was USD 180,163 for infants with NEC and USD 134,494 for infants without NEC (p = 0.024). NEC was associated with a marginal increase in costs of USD 43,818, after controlling for demographic characteristics, risk of NEC, and average daily dose of HM during days 1-14 (p < 0.001). Each additional ml/kg/day of HM during days 1-14 decreased non-NEC-related NICU costs by USD 534 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Avoidance of formula and use of exclusive HM feedings during the first 14 days of life is an effective strategy to reduce the risk of NEC and resulting NICU costs in VLBW infants. Hospitals investing in initiatives to feed exclusive HM during the first 14 days of life could substantially reduce NEC-related NICU hospitalization costs.
Authors: A L Patel; S Trivedi; N P Bhandari; A Ruf; C M Scala; G Witowitch; Y Chen; C Renschen; P P Meier; J M Silvestri Journal: J Perinatol Date: 2014-07-10 Impact factor: 2.521
Authors: Erin Fleurant; Michael Schoeny; Rebecca Hoban; Ifeyinwa V Asiodu; Brittany Riley; Paula P Meier; Harold Bigger; Aloka L Patel Journal: Breastfeed Med Date: 2016-12-01 Impact factor: 1.817
Authors: Tarah T Colaizy; Melissa C Bartick; Briana J Jegier; Brittany D Green; Arnold G Reinhold; Andrew J Schaefer; Debra L Bogen; Eleanor Bimla Schwarz; Alison M Stuebe Journal: J Pediatr Date: 2016-04-27 Impact factor: 4.406
Authors: Brittany Riley; Michael Schoeny; Laura Rogers; Ifeyinwa V Asiodu; Harold R Bigger; Paula P Meier; Aloka L Patel Journal: Breastfeed Med Date: 2016-06-27 Impact factor: 1.817