부산대학교 도서관

Objective: To investigate potential factors influencing initial length of hospital stay (LOS) for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) in Florida. Methods: The study population included 2984 term, singleton live births in 33 Florida hospitals. We used hierarchical linear modeling to evaluate the association of community, hospital, and individual factors with LOS. Results: The average LOS of infants diagnosed with NAS varied significantly across hospitals. Individual-level factors associated with increased LOS for NAS included event year (P< 0.001), gestational age at birth (P< 0.001), maternal age (P= 0.002), maternal race and ethnicity (P< 0.001), maternal education (P= 0.032), and prenatal care adequacy (P< 0.001). Average annual hospital NAS volume (P= 0.022) was a significant hospital factor. Conclusion: NAS varies widely across hospitals in Florida. In addition to focusing on treatment regimens, to reduce LOS, public health and quality improvement initiatives should identify and adopt strategies that can minimize the prevalence and impact of these contributing factors.