WIP 30 - COVID-19 Visitation Policies and the Association with NICU Family Visitation and Readmissions or Emergency Department Visits after Discharge

Poster Number: WIP 30
Publication Number: WIP 30.2608

Background: NICU family visitation is associated with infant health outcomes, including post-discharge follow-up. Hospitals altered visitation policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the impact of these restrictions is not well described.

Objective: To examine associations between COVID-19 NICU visitation restrictions and 1) family visitation in the 2 weeks prior to discharge, 2) infant emergency department (ED) utilization and re-hospitalization in the time between discharge and initial NICU follow-up clinic visit at 4 months corrected gestational age (CA).

Design/Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 266 infants born < 30 weeks' gestation or < 1500 grams and discharged between 1/1/2019 and 3/31/2023 from one urban, level 3 NICU after ≥ 14 day admission. Nurse-documented parent, grandparent, or other adult visitation (yes/no for each, per calendar day) in the 14 days prior to discharge, demographic and clinical data from NICU hospitalization and 4-month CA NICU follow-up clinic encounter, and number of hospitalizations and ED encounters will be obtained from the infant’s medical record. Infants with major congenital gastrointestinal or cardiac anomalies or chromosomal abnormalities are excluded.

We will stratify patients into 3 cohorts based on the main visitation policy in place for the 14 days prior to discharge: pre-COVID (4 visitors allowed bedside, 1/1/19-3/27/20), 1 parent only (3/28/20-7/27/20), and 2 parents allowed (grandparent allowed by exception, (7/28/20-3/31/23). We will compare cohort characteristics using Chi square, one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis tests and use adjusted Poisson regression to compare family visitation between cohorts. Post-discharge re-hospitalization and ED encounters will be standardized to the duration from discharge to 4-month CA visit (number/weeks since discharge) and compared using adjusted logistic and linear regression. We will complete data collection and analysis by December 2023. This study was reviewed by the Rush University Medical Center Institutional Review Board and deemed exempt with informed consent waived.