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Outcomes of 35-Week-Old Infants Routinely Admitted to Higher Levels of Care
Juniper L Burch1, Amanda E Winkler1, Nicole Danaher-Garcia2
1Division of Newborn Medicine, Mass General Brigham for Children, Boston, Massachusett.
Hospital Pediatrics
|July 23, 2026
Summary
Most 35-week infants admitted to special care nurseries (SCN) are discharged from the SCN. Interventions like tube feeding and monitoring after apnea, bradycardia, and desaturation (ABD) events can prolong hospital stays, suggesting potential overmedicalization.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Perinatal medicine
- Pediatric observation
Background:
- Infants born at 35 weeks gestation are often admitted to special care nurseries (SCN) for observation.
- Understanding the typical course of symptoms and interventions for these infants is crucial for optimizing care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence and time course of symptoms and interventions in 35-week infants routinely admitted to SCN.
- To identify factors associated with prolonged length of stay (LOS).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of electronic medical records.
- Analysis of infants born between 35 and 35 weeks gestation.
- Inclusion of data on admissions, symptoms, interventions, and LOS.
Main Results:
- Most infants (67%) were admitted to SCN, with 38% discharged directly from the well newborn nursery (NBN).
- Common symptoms included tachypnea (97%) and hypothermia (68%), with significant intervention rates.
- Tube feeding (58%) and monitoring after apnea, bradycardia, desaturation (ABD) events (33%) were associated with significantly longer LOS.
Conclusions:
- Routine SCN admission for 35-week infants is common, with most discharged from the SCN.
- Tube feeding and post-ABD event monitoring correlate with extended LOS.
- These findings suggest a need to evaluate the potential for overmedicalization in this population.
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