Faculty Collaboration Database

A Prospective Study of Parent Health-Related Quality of Life before and after Discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. J Pediatr 2019 Oct;213:38-45.e3

Date

07/02/2019

Pubmed ID

31256914

Pubmed Central ID

PMC6765405

DOI

10.1016/j.jpeds.2019.05.067

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85067844290 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   28 Citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine how infant illness and parent demographics are associated with parent health-related quality of life (HRQL) during and 3 months after hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We hypothesized that parents of extremely preterm infants would report lower NICU HRQL than other parents, and that all parents would report improved HRQL after discharge.

STUDY DESIGN: This prospective study of parent-infant dyads admitted to a level IV NICU for ≥14 days from 2016 to 2017 measured parent HRQL before and 3 months after discharge using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Family Impact Module. Multivariable regression was used to identify risk factors associated with HRQL differences during hospitalization and after discharge.

RESULTS: Of the 194 dyads, 167 (86%) completed the study (24% extremely preterm; 53% moderate to late preterm; 22% term). During the NICU hospitalization, parents of extremely preterm infants reported lower adjusted HRQL (-7 points; P = .013) than other parents. After discharge, parents of extremely preterm infants reported higher HRQL compared with their NICU score (+10 points; P = .001). Tracheostomy (-13; P = .006), home oxygen (-6; P = .022), and readmission (-5; P = .037) were associated with lower parent HRQL 3 months after discharge, adjusted for NICU HRQL score.

CONCLUSIONS: Parents of extremely preterm infants experienced a greater negative impact on HRQL during the NICU hospitalization and more improvement after discharge than parents of other infants hospitalized in the NICU. Complex home care was associated with lower parent HRQL after discharge. The potential benefit of home discharge should be balanced against the potential negative impact of complex home care.

Author List

McAndrew S, Acharya K, Westerdahl J, Brousseau DC, Panepinto JA, Simpson P, Leuthner J, Lagatta JM

Authors

Krishna Kartikey Acharya MBBS Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Joanne M. Lagatta MD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Pippa M. Simpson PhD Adjunct Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Female
Hospitalization
Humans
Infant, Extremely Premature
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature, Diseases
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal
Male
Parents
Prospective Studies
Quality of Life
Young Adult