Evaluation of the relationship between day or night birth time and morbidities and mortality in premature infants less than 32 weeks in a Turkish NICU.

Abstract

Staffing levels, fatigue, and intervention timing may vary based on working hours and potentially influence the clinical outcomes of newborns. It remains unclear how the birth time of premature infants throughout the day affects their clinical outcome. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of premature infants born during and after work hours. In this single-center retrospective cohort study, infants born at <32 weeks of age were categorized into two groups based on birth time. The first group included infants born during daytime working hours on weekdays, whereas the second group included infants born during nighttime working hours on weekdays, weekends, and public holidays. Both groups were compared in terms of clinical outcomes. Data from 572 patients born at <32 weeks of age were analyzed, with 137 (24%) infants in the on-hours group and 435 (76%) in the off-hours group. No significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of gestational age (GA) (27.4 ± 2.8 weeks vs. 27.7 ± 2.7 weeks), birth weight (BW) (1132 ± 459 g vs. 1064 ± 450 g), and gender distribution (53.2% vs. 55.4% male) (P > .05). There were no significant differences in other clinical outcomes, morbidities, or mortality rates between the groups (P > .05). Despite potential fluctuations in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) staffing levels during on- and off-duty hours, the morbidity and mortality of premature infants aged <32 weeks were not affected in our unit. Each NICU should assess whether delivery time influences clinical outcomes, based on unique care conditions. The change in clinical outcomes depending on the time of birth may be particularly important in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Negative results may be an indication that the staff is under excessive workload. In addition, by providing a solution to the cause of the detected problem, both clinical outcomes may be improved and patient care costs due to morbidity may be reduced. Our results may be particularly important for studies to be conducted on this subject in LMIC.