Hospitalization costs associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia in the first year of life

Objective To determine costs of hospitalization associated with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) during the first year in very low birth weight infants. Study design Retrospective cohort study of California births from 2008 to 2011 linking birth certificate, discharge records, and clinical data from California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative. Inclusion: birth weight 401-1500 g, gestational age < 30 weeks, inborn or transferred within 2 days, alive at 36 weeks corrected, and without major congenital anomalies. Outcomes included cost and length of stay of initial hospitalization and rehospitalizations. Result Out of 7998 eligible infants, 2696 (33.7%) developed BPD. Median hospitalization cost in the first year was $377,871 per infant with BPD compared with $175,836 per infant without BPD (adjusted cost ratio 1.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.49-1.59). Infants with BPD also had longer length of stay and a higher likelihood of rehospitalization. Conclusion BPD is associated with substantial resource utilization. Prevention strategies could help conserve healthcare resources.