Prevalence and outcomes for assisted home feeding in medically complex neonates

Objective: To describe the prevalence and outcome of assisted home feeding (AHF) in medically complex neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) patients, and to identify variables associated with AHF in this population. Study Design: 1223 infants who survived to discharge from 2013 to 2015 were identified in our single-center, retrospective cohort study at a large tertiary referral NICU. Demographic and selected disease-specific variables were compared between infants discharged on full oral feeding (PO) versus AHF. Result: 404 (33%) infants were discharged on AHF (NG = 201, GT = 186, NJ = 17). AHF neonates were born at an earlier gestational age, lower birth weight, had longer hospital admission, greater post-menstrual age at discharge, and had more associated co-morbidities compared to the PO group. Conclusion: AHF was a frequently used and safe intervention in our large cohort of infants. Level of Evidence: Treatment Study Level III.