Digital Health as a Mechanism to Reduce Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Admissions: Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Abstract BackgroundAdmission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is costly and has been associated with financial and emotional stress among families. Digital health may be well equipped to impact modifiable health factors that contribute to NICU admission rates. ObjectiveThe aim of the study is to investigate how the use of a comprehensive prenatal digital health platform is associated with gestational age at birth and mechanisms to reduce the risk of admission to the NICU. MethodsData were extracted from 3326 users who enrolled in a comprehensive digital health platform between January 2020 and May 2022. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used to estimate the associations between hours of digital health use and (1) gestational age at birth and (2) mechanisms to reduce the risk of a NICU admission. Multivariable logistic regression models estimated the associations between (1) gestational age at birth and (2) mechanisms to reduce the risk of a NICU admission and the likelihood of a NICU admission. All analyses were stratified by the presence of any gestational conditions during pregnancy. ResultsFor users both with and without gestational conditions, hours of digital health use were positively associated with gestational age at birth (in weeks; with gestational conditions: β=.01; 95% CI 0.0006-0.02; PPPPPPPPPPP ConclusionsDigital health use may aid in extending gestational age at birth and reduce the risk of NICU admission.