Length of Hospital Stay and Factors Associated Very Low Birth Weight Preterm Neonates Surviving to Discharge a cross-sectional study, 2022

Abstract Background: Length of hospital stay of very low birth weight neonates (birth weight<1500 grams) depends on multiple factors. Numerous factors have been reported to influence the length of hospital stay (LOS). The objective of this study was to identify the length of hospital stay and associated factors among very low birth weight preterm neonates. Method:A hospital based cross sectional study was conducted. Data was collected using pretested structured questionnaire from April, 1 to November, 30 2022. The data was entered using Epidata and analyzed using SPSS version 26 and Stata version 15.1. Frequencies, mean, median and inter-quartile range were used to describe the study population in relation to relevant variables. A linear regression model was used to see the effect of independent variables on dependent variables. Result: About 110 very low birth weight preterm neonates survived to discharge were included in the study. The median birth weight was 1370gram with IQR of 1250-1430. The mean gestational age was 32.30 + 1.79 weeks. The median length of hospital stay was 24 days with IQR of 13.5-40. The gestational age, type of initial management given and presence of complications had significant association with length of hospital stay for VLBW preterm neonates. Conclusion: The median hospital stay was 24 days. The length of hospital stay was inversely related with length of hospital stay. The gestational age, presence of complication and type of initial management given were associated with LOS for VLBW preterm neonates. Infection and preterm labor prevention should be prevented by applying the respective strategies.