Rooming-in for preterm infants: How far should we go? Five-year experience at a tertiary hospital

Aim: To determine the rate of rooming-in among preterm infants born in a tertiary hospital. Methods: We reviewed the records of all preterm infants born at our hospital during a 5-y period, 2000 to 2004. Results: Of the 18 953 neonates born at our institution during this time, 1356 (7.2%) were < 37 wk gestational age. Considering only preterm infants with birthweight >= 1500 g, 806 (74.1%) stayed with their mothers and 282 (25.9%) were admitted to the NICU. Of all the preterm infants that initially stayed with their mothers, 42 (5.2%) needed to be transferred to the NICU. When we stratified these preterm infants according to birthweight, we found that 29% of those < 1750 g were transferred to the NICU, compared to only 5% of those >= 1750 g. Conclusion: Our study supports the idea that the majority of preterm infants, especially those with birthweight >= 1750 g, can safely remain near their mothers at all times during hospital stay, with both clinical and financial benefits. Neonates with birthweight < 1750 g should be evaluated carefully to decide whether rooming-in is the best option. Rooming-in should be encouraged in preterm infants.