Racial Inequity in High-Risk Infant Follow-Up Among Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants.

Background And Objectives: High-risk infant follow-up programs (HRIFs) are a recommended standard of care for all extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants to help mitigate known risks to long-term health and development. However, participation is variable, with known racial and ethnic inequities, though hospital-level drivers of inequity remain unknown. We conducted a study using a large, multicenter cohort of ELBW infants to explore within- and between-hospital inequities in HRIF participation.

Follow-through care for high-risk infants during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned from the Vermont Oxford Network.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the delivery of follow-up care for high-risk infants. We performed an audit to characterize programmatic responses in a quality improvement network.

Study Design: We audited 43 North American-based follow-up programs of the Vermont Oxford Network Extremely Low Birth Weight Follow-up Study Group in October, 2020.

Growth morbidity in extremely low birth weight survivors of necrotizing enterocolitis at discharge and two-year follow-up.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine postnatal growth outcomes and predictors of growth failure at 18-24months corrected age among extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survivors of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) compared to survivors without NEC.

Methods: Data were collected prospectively on ELBW (22-27weeks gestation or 401-1000g birth weight) infants born 2000-2013 at 46 centers participating in the Vermont Oxford Network follow-up project. Severe growth failure was defined as <3rd percentile weight-for-age.

Severe neurodevelopmental disability and healthcare needs among survivors of medical and surgical necrotizing enterocolitis: A prospective cohort study.

Purpose: This study characterizes neurodevelopmental outcomes and healthcare needs of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survivors of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) compared to ELBW infants without NEC.

Methods: Data were collected prospectively on neonates born 22-27weeks' gestation or 401-1000g at 47 Vermont Oxford Network member centers from 1999 to 2012. Detailed neurodevelopmental evaluations were conducted at 18-24months corrected age.

Neurodevelopmental outcome of extremely low birth weight infants from the Vermont Oxford network: 1998-2003.

Background: Physicians and parents face significant uncertainties when making care decisions for extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Many published estimates of death and developmental outcome are from well-funded university programs and may not reflect outcomes of infants from a variety of settings. The best estimates of the probabilities of death and severe disability combine local experience and published data.

Improving newborn preventive services at the birth hospitalization: a collaborative, hospital-based quality-improvement project.

Objective: The goal was to test the effectiveness of a statewide, collaborative, hospital-based quality-improvement project targeting preventive services delivered to healthy newborns during the birth hospitalization.

Methods: All Vermont hospitals with obstetric services participated. The quality-improvement collaborative (intervention) was based on the Breakthrough Series Collaborative model.