NICU infants who require a feeding gastrostomy for discharge.

OBJECTIVE

To determine population data for infants receiving a gastrostomy tube (GT) in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to better understand the premature infant population at risk for GT prior to discharge.

STUDY

DESIGN

We identified all NICU infants born 2015-2016 who received a GT and determined the birth gestational age below which GTs were placed due to oral feeding failure secondary to prematurity-related comorbidities, rather than anomalies or other reasons. Aggregate data were used to compare infants born <30 weeks (w) gestation who received a GT with those who did not.

RESULTS

GTs were placed in 117 infants. More than half of the NICU patients who receive GTs were actually >32 weeks gestation; a cut-off of <30w was a good identifier for those who failed achieving full oral feeds due to prematurity-related problems. Infants born <30w (n = 282) not receiving GTs were discharged at a significantly lower postmenstrual age (36w) and lower weight (2.3 kg) compared with infants who received a GT (49w, 5 kg).

CONCLUSIONS

The population of premature infants born <30w gestation constitute the population of infants at risk for a GT based solely on prematurity.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: III.