Association of early postnatal transfer and birth outside a tertiary hospital with mortality and severe brain injury in extremely preterm infants: observational cohort study with propensity score matching.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine if postnatal transfer or birth in a non-tertiary hospital is associated with adverse outcomes.

Design

Observational cohort study with propensity score matching.

Setting

National health service neonatal care in England; population data held in the National Neonatal Research Database.

Participants

Extremely preterm infants born at less than 28 gestational weeks between 2008 and 2015 (n=17 577) grouped based on birth hospital and transfer within 48 hours of birth: upward transfer (non-tertiary to tertiary hospital, n=2158), non-tertiary care (born in non-tertiary hospital; not transferred, n=2668), and controls (born in tertiary hospital; not transferred, n=10 866). Infants were matched on propensity scores and predefined background variable

SUBMITTER: Helenius K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6812621 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature