Economic costs associated with moderate and late preterm birth: a prospective population-based study

Area of Science:

• Neonatal care
• Health economics
• Public health

Background:

• Preterm birth, defined as birth before 37 weeks of gestation, is a major global health concern.
• Moderate preterm birth (32-33 weeks) and late preterm birth (34-36 weeks) represent the majority of preterm births.
• Understanding the economic implications of preterm birth is essential for resource allocation and policy development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the economic costs associated with moderate and late preterm birth.
• To compare these costs with those of infants born at full term (≥37 weeks of gestation).
• To provide data for economic evaluations of interventions targeting preterm birth.

Main Methods:

• An economic study nested within a prospective cohort study.
• Data collected from birth to 24 months corrected age from a National Health Service (NHS) and societal perspective.
• Descriptive statistics and multivariable analyses used to estimate costs and their relationship with gestational age.

Main Results:

• Total societal costs at 24 months were £12,037 for moderate preterm, £5,823 for late preterm, and £2,056 for term infants.
• Moderate and late preterm birth were associated with significantly increased societal costs compared to term birth.
• Multivariable analysis indicated higher costs associated with moderate preterm birth (£7,583) and late preterm birth (£1,963) after controlling for covariates.

Conclusions:

• Moderate and late preterm birth result in substantially higher economic costs during the first two years of life.
• These economic estimates are vital for informing healthcare budgetary and service planning.
• The findings support the development of economic evaluations for interventions aimed at preventing preterm birth or mitigating its consequences.