Estimating the neonatal length of stay for preterm babies in a saudi tertiary hospital

Introduction: The most frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal care units worldwide is prematurity. It represents the second leading cause of neonatal death after congenital anomalies and a significant determinant of newborn and infant morbidity. Objective: The objective is to have a local estimate of the length of stay (LOS) and risk of death for babies admitted to neonatal intensive care units, which facilitate planning and family counseling. Materials and Methods: This study is a retrospective review for all babies born at 23-36 weeks of gestational age (GA) and admitted to the neonatal unit from January 2010 to April 2019. We calculated the actual median LOS for babies and compared them with days to due date based on the GA and birth weight (BW). Results: There were 2913 babies born at 23-36 weeks GA admitted to the neonatal unit. In addition, the majority of babies (2845) did not require surgical intervention; only 61 babies did require surgical intervention. There was a negative correlation between the LOS median (interquartile range) and each of the GA or BW of the babies (LOS decreased as the week of GA and BW increased), while GA had a positive association with the BW. The total number of babies discharge from neonatal care was 2605 (89.7%). Conclusion: BW and GA are inherent factors that allow for a simple and objective prediction of the LOS in the neonatal unit, which can estimate on the 1st day of life.