Quannetta T Edwards, PhD, MPH, NP* and Ruth Trudgeon, DNP, RN
Newborn readmission for hyperbilirubinemia (HB) increased by 160% in the past decade. Hospital readmission rates are higher among healthy term newborns who are exclusively breastfed compared to similar newborns with other feeding types. HB is preventable with frequent breastfeeding during the immediate postnatal period. Purpose: Describe readmission rates, costs and demographic factors of healthy term newborns hospitalized with HB from years 2013 to 2015 at a Baby-Friendly Hospital. Methods: Retrospective data of 192 healthy term newborns. Findings: HB rates decreased by 35.5% one year after recognition as a Baby-Friendly Hospital. Over 92% of newborns readmitted were breastfed with length of hospital stay 1 to 3 days and median costs $8,777 to $10, 784. Age, maternal (rs=0.27, p=0.0002) and newborn (rs=0.25, p=0.0004), and parity (rs=0.19, p=0.0082) were related to total serum bilirubin (TSB) levels at readmission with maternal and newborn age predictors of TSB level (F=9.12, 2 df, p<0.0001). Race, feeding type, gender or gestation was not associated with TSB (p>0.05). Conclusion: Results aid in future patient centered strategies of home visits and telephone follow-up emphasizing supportive breastfeeding to reduce HB readmissions of healthy-term newborns.
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