Cohort selection and the estimation of racial disparity in mortality of extremely preterm neonates.

BACKGROUND: Racial disparities in preterm neonatal mortality are long-standing. We aimed to assess how cohort selection influences mortality rates and racial disparity estimates. METHODS: With 2014-2018 California data, we compared neonatal mortality rates among Black and non-Hispanic White very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500 g) or very preterm infants (22-29 weeks gestational age). Relative risks were estimated by different cohort selection criteria. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition quantified factors contributing to mortality differential. RESULTS: Depending upon standard selection criteria, mortality ranged from 6.2% (VLBW infants excluding first 12-h deaths) to 16.0% (22-29 weeks' gestation including all deaths). Black observed neonatal mortality was higher than White infants only for delivery room deaths in VLBW infants (5.6 vs 4.2%). With risk adjustment accounting for higher rate of low gestational age, low Apgar score and other factors, White infant mortality increased from 15.9 to 16.6%, while Black infant mortality decreased from 16.7 to 13.7% in the 22-29 weeks cohort. Across varying cohort selection, risk adjusted survival advantage among Black infants ranged from 0.70 (CL 0.61-0.80) to 0.84 (CL 0.76-0.93). CONCLUSIONS: Standard cohort selection can give markedly different mortality estimates. It is necessary to reduce prematurity rates and perinatal morbidity to improve outcomes for Black infants. IMPACT: In this population-based observational cohort study that encompassed very low birth weight infant hospitalizations in California, varying standard methods of cohort selection resulted in neonatal mortality ranges from 6.2 to 16.0%. Across all cohorts, the only significant observed Black-White disparity was for delivery room deaths in Very Low Birth Weight births (5.6 vs 4.2%). Across all cohorts, we found a 16-30% survival advantage for Black infants. Cohort selection can result in an almost three-fold difference in estimated mortality but did not have a meaningful impact on observed or adjusted differences in neonatal mortality outcomes by race and ethnicity.

Evaluating Epidemiologic Trends and Variations in NICU Admissions in California, 2008 to 2018.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research suggests increasing numbers of and variation in NICU admissions. We explored whether these trends were reflected in California by examining NICU admissions and birth data in aggregate and among patient and hospital subpopulations more susceptible to variations in care. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we evaluated NICU utilization between 2008 and 2018 for all live births at hospitals that provide data to the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative. We compared hospital- and admission-level data across birth weight (BW), gestational age (GA), and illness acuity categories. Trends were analyzed by using linear regression models. RESULTS: We identified 472 402 inborn NICU admissions and 3 960 441 live births across 144 hospitals. Yearly trends in NICU admissions remained stable among all births and higher acuity births (mean admission rates 11.9% and 4.1%, respectively). However, analysis of the higher acuity births revealed significant increases in NICU admission rates for neonates with higher BW and GA (BW ≥ 2500g: 1.8% in 2008, 2.1% in 2018; GA ≥ 37 weeks: 1.5% in 2010, 1.8% in 2018). Kaiser hospitals had a decreasing trend of NICU admissions compared to non-Kaiser hospitals (Kaiser: 13.9% in 2008, 10.1% in 2018; non-Kaiser: 11.3% in 2008, 12.3% in 2018). CONCLUSIONS: Overall NICU admission rates in California were stable from 2008-2018. However, trends similar to national patterns emerged when stratified by infant GA, BW, and illness acuity as well as Kaiser or non-Kaiser hospitals, with increasing admission rates for infants born at higher BW and GA and within non-Kaiser hospitals.

In Situ Simulation and Clinical Outcomes in Infants Born Preterm.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate impact of a multihospital collaborative quality improvement project implementing in situ simulation training for neonatal resuscitation on clinical outcomes for infants born preterm. STUDY DESIGN: Twelve neonatal intensive care units were divided into 4 cohorts; each completed a 15-month long program in a stepped wedge manner. Data from California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative were used to evaluate clinical outcomes. Infants with very low birth weight between 22 through 31 weeks gestation were included. Primary outcome was survival without chronic lung disease (CLD); secondary outcomes included intubation in the delivery room, delivery room continuous positive airway pressure, hypothermia (<36°C) upon neonatal intensive care unit admission, severe intraventricular hemorrhage, and mortality before hospital discharge. A mixed effects multivariable regression model was used to assess the intervention effect. RESULTS: Between March 2017 and December 2020, a total of 2626 eligible very low birth weight births occurred at 12 collaborative participating sites. Rate of survival without CLD at participating sites was 74.1% in March to August 2017 and 76.0% in July to December 2020 (risk ratio 1.03; [0.94-1.12]); no significant improvement occurred during the study period for both participating and nonparticipating sites. The effect of in situ simulation on all secondary outcomes was stable. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a multihospital collaborative providing in situ training for neonatal resuscitation did not result in significant improvement in survival without CLD. Ongoing in situ simulations may have an impact on unit practice and unmeasured outcomes.

Moms in the NICU: developing a pilot to engage and empower women who have delivered a prematurely born infant.

BACKGROUND: Mothers spend long hours at their preterm infant's bedside in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), giving clinicians the opportunity to engage mothers in caring for their own health. OBJECTIVE: To develop a NICU based intervention to reduce the risk of a future premature birth by engaging and empowering mothers to improve their own health and identify barriers to implementing their improvement. DESIGN: Development based on a framework of narrative discourse refined by the Quality Improvement Plan Do Study Act Approach. SETTING: Level II Stepdown Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. PARTICIPANTS: 14 mothers of preterm infants, ages 24-39 years. METHODS: A team of Maternal Fetal Medicine Physicians, obstetricians, neonatologists, neonatal nurses, and parents developed guidelines to elicit the mother's birth story, review the story with a clinical expert to fill in knowledge gaps, identify strategies to improve health to reduce the risk of future preterm birth, and facilitate mother developing an action plan with specific six week goals. A phone interview was designed to assess success and identify barriers to implementing their health plan. The protocol was modified as needed after each intervention to improve the interventions. RESULTS: "Moms in the NICU" toolkit is effective to guide any clinical facilitator to engage, identify health improvement strategies, and co-develop an individualized health plan and its take home summary reached stability after the 5th mother. Mothers reported experiencing reassurance, understanding, and in some cases, relief. Participants were enthusiastic to inform future quality improvement activities by sharing the six week barriers faced implementing their health plan. CONCLUSION: Engaging in the NICU provides an opportunity to improve mothers' understanding of potential factors that may be linked to preterm birth, and promote personally selected actions to improve their health and reduce the risk of a future preterm birth.

Linked birth cohort files for perinatal health research: California as a model for methodology and implementation.

PURPOSE: Rigorous perinatal epidemiologic research depends on population-based parental and neonatal sociodemographic and clinical data. Here we describe the creation of linked birth cohort files, an enriched data source that combines information from vital records with maternal delivery and infant hospital encounter records. METHODS: Probabilistic linkage techniques were used to link vital records (i.e., birth and fetal death certificates) from the California Department of Public Health with hospital inpatient, ambulatory surgery and emergency department encounter data for mothers and infants from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. RESULTS: From 2012 to 2018, 95% of live birth records were successfully linked to maternal and newborn hospital records while 85% of fetal death records were linked to a maternal delivery record. Overall, 93% of postnatal hospital encounters of infants (i.e., <1 year old) were matched to a linked record. CONCLUSIONS: The linked birth cohort files is a rich resource opening many possibilities for understanding perinatal health outcomes and opportunities for linkage to longitudinal, social determinant, and environmental data. To optimally use this file for research, analysts should evaluate possible shortcomings or biases of the data sources being linked.

Measuring Variation in Interpregnancy Interval: Identifying Hotspots for Improvement Initiatives.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to determine if single year birth certificate data can be used to identify regional and hospital variation in rates of short interpregnancy interval (IPI < 6 months). STUDY DESIGN: IPI was estimated for multiparous women ages 15 to 44 years with singleton live births between 2015 and 2016. Perinatal outcomes, place of birth, maternal race, and data for IPI calculations were obtained by using birth certificates. IPI frequencies are presented as observed rates. RESULTS: The cohort included 562,039 multiparous women. Short IPI rates were similar to those obtained with analyses by using linked longitudinal data and confirmed the association with preterm birth. Short IPI rates varied by race and Hispanic nativity. There was substantial hospital (0.8-9%) and regional (2.9-6.2%) variation in short IPI rates. CONCLUSION: IPI rates can be reliably obtained from current year birth certificate data. This can be a useful tool for quality improvement projects targeting interventions and rapidly assessing their progress to promote optimal birth spacing. KEY POINTS: · Near-real time regional and hospital IPI rates can be reliably obtained from current year birth certificate data.. · Substantial variations in rates of short IPI exist between hospital and perinatal regions.. · IPI rates from individual birth certificates can be a tool to target and assess interventions..

Validation of ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Codes for Gestational Age at Birth.

BACKGROUND: The International Classification of Diseases , 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) introduced diagnosis codes for week of gestation. Our objective was to assess the validity of these codes among live births, which could have major utility in perinatal research and quality improvement. METHODS: We used linked birth certificate and patient discharge data from births in California during 2016-2019 (N = 1,843,992). We identified gestational age using Z3A.xx ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes in birthing patient discharge data and compared it with the gold standard of obstetric estimate, as recorded on the birth certificate. We further assessed sensitivity and specificity of gestational age categories (≥37 weeks, <37 weeks, <32 weeks, <28 weeks), given these categories are frequently of interest, and evaluated differences in validity of preterm birth (<37 weeks' gestation) by patient characteristics. RESULTS: One-million seven-hundred seventy-thousand one-hundred three patients had a gestational age recorded in patient discharge and birth certificate data. When comparing gestational age in patient discharge data with birth certificate data, the concordance correlation coefficient was 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.96, 0.96) and the mean difference between the two measurements was 0.047 weeks (95% CI = 0.046, 0.047 weeks). Ninety-five percent of the differences between the two measurements were between -1.00 week and +1.09 weeks. Sensitivity and specificity were 0.94 to 1.00 for all gestational age categories and were 0.94 to 1.00 for preterm birth across sociodemographic groups. CONCLUSIONS: We found week-specific gestational age at delivery ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes in patient discharge data to have high validity when compared with the best obstetric estimate on the birth certificate.

Active Treatment of Infants Born at 22-25 Weeks of Gestation in California, 2011-2018.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the rate and trend of active treatment in a population-based cohort of infants born at 22-25 weeks of gestation and to examine factors associated with active treatment. STUDY DESIGN: This observational study evaluated 8247 infants born at 22-25 weeks of gestation at hospitals in the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative between 2011 and 2018. Multivariable logistic regression was used to relate maternal demographic and prenatal factors, fetal characteristics, and hospital level of care to the primary outcome of active treatment. RESULTS: Active treatment was provided to 6657 infants. The rate at 22 weeks was 19.4% and increased with each advancing week, and was significantly higher for infants born between days 4 and 6 at 22 or 23 weeks of gestation compared with those born between days 0 and 3 (26.2% and 78.3%, respectively, vs 14.1% and 65.9%, respectively; P < .001). The rate of active treatment at 23 weeks increased from 2011 to 2018 (from 64.9% to 83.4%; P < .0001) but did not change significantly at 22 weeks. Factors associated with increased odds of active treatment included maternal Hispanic ethnicity and Black race, preterm premature rupture of membranes, obstetrical bleeding, antenatal steroids, and cesarean delivery. Factors associated with decreased odds included lower gestational age and small for gestational age birth weight. CONCLUSIONS: In California, active treatment rates at 23 weeks of gestation increased between 2011 and 2018, but rates at 22 weeks did not. At 22 and 23 weeks, rates increased during the latter part of the week. Several maternal and infant factors were associated with the likelihood of active treatment.

Vignette Research Methodology: An Essential Tool for Quality Improvement Collaboratives.

Variation in patient outcomes among institutions and within institutions is a major problem in healthcare. Some of this variation is due to differences in practice, termed practice variation. Some practice variation is expected due to appropriately personalized care for a given patient. However, some practice variation is due to the individual preference or style of the clinicians. Quality improvement collaboratives are commonly used to disseminate quality care on a wide scale. Practice variation is a notable barrier to any quality improvement effort. A detailed and accurate understanding of practice variation can help optimize the quality improvement efforts. The traditional survey methods do not capture the complex nuances of practice variation. Vignette methods have been shown to accurately measure the actual practice variation and quality of care delivered by clinicians. Vignette methods are cost-effective relative to other methods of measuring quality of care. This review describes our experience and lessons from implementing vignette research methods in quality improvement collaboratives in California neonatal intensive care units. Vignette methodology is an ideal tool to address practice variation in quality improvement collaboratives, actively engage a large number of participants, and support more evidence-based practice to improve outcomes.

Randomized controlled trial of the "WISER" intervention to reduce healthcare worker burnout.

OBJECTIVE: Test web-based implementation for the science of enhancing resilience (WISER) intervention efficacy in reducing healthcare worker (HCW) burnout. DESIGN: RCT using two cohorts of HCWs of four NICUs each, to improve HCW well-being (primary outcome: burnout). Cohort 1 received WISER while Cohort 2 acted as a waitlist control. RESULTS: Cohorts were similar, mostly female (83%) and nurses (62%). In Cohorts 1 and 2 respectively, 182 and 299 initiated WISER, 100 and 176 completed 1-month follow-up, and 78 and 146 completed 6-month follow-up. Relative to control, WISER decreased burnout (-5.27 (95% CI: -10.44, -0.10), p = 0.046). Combined adjusted cohort results at 1-month showed that the percentage of HCWs reporting concerning outcomes was significantly decreased for burnout (-6.3% (95%CI: -11.6%, -1.0%); p = 0.008), and secondary outcomes depression (-5.2% (95%CI: -10.8, -0.4); p = 0.022) and work-life integration (-11.8% (95%CI: -17.9, -6.1); p < 0.001). Improvements endured at 6 months. CONCLUSION: WISER appears to durably improve HCW well-being. CLINICAL TRIALS NUMBER: NCT02603133; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02603133.

Vignettes Identify Variation in Antibiotic Use for Suspected Early Onset Sepsis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: There is widespread unwarranted antibiotic use and large individual provider variation in antibiotic use in NICUs. Vignette-based research methodology offers a unique method of studying variation in individual provider decisions. The objective with this study was to use a vignette-based survey to identify specific areas of provider antibiotic use variation in newborns being evaluated for early onset sepsis. METHODS: This study was undertaken as part of a statewide multicenter neonatal antibiotic stewardship quality improvement project led by a perinatal quality improvement collaborative. A web-based vignette survey was administered to identify variation in decisions to start and discontinue antibiotics in cases of early onset sepsis. RESULTS: The largest variation was noted in 3 of the 6 vignette cases. These cases highlighted variation in (1) decisions to start antibiotics in a case describing a well-appearing newborn with risk factors and an elevated C-reactive protein, (2) decisions to start antibiotics in the case of a newborn with risk factors plus mild respiratory signs at birth, and (3) decisions to stop antibiotics in the case of the newborn with a history of sepsis risk factors and mild clinical respiratory signs that resolved after 72 hours. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical vignette assessment identified specific areas of variation in individual provider antibiotic use decisions in cases of suspected early onset sepsis. Vignettes are a valuable method of describing individual provider variation and highlighting antibiotic stewardship improvement opportunities in NICUs.

Multilevel social factors and NICU quality of care in California.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to incorporate social and built environment factors into a compendium of multilevel factors among a cohort of very low birth weight infants to understand their contributions to inequities in NICU quality of care and support providers and NICUs in addressing these inequities via development of a health equity dashboard. STUDY DESIGN: We examined bivariate associations between NICU patient pool and NICU catchment area characteristics and NICU quality of care with data from a cohort of 15,901 infants from 119 NICUs in California, born 2008-2011. RESULT: NICUs with higher proportion of minority racial/ethnic patients and lower SES patients had lower quality scores. NICUs with catchment areas of lower SES, higher composition of minority residents, and more household crowding had lower quality scores. CONCLUSION: Multilevel social factors impact quality of care in the NICU. Their incorporation into a health equity dashboard can inform providers of their patients' potential resource needs.

Population Improvement Bias Observed in Estimates of the Impact of Antenatal Steroids to Outcomes in Preterm Birth.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the hypothesis that increasing rates and differential uptake of antenatal steroids would bias estimation of impact of antenatal steroids on neonatal death and severe (grade III-IV) intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). STUDY DESIGN: The study population included infants born between 24 and 28 weeks of gestational age in the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative. Outcomes were in-hospital mortality and severe IVH. Mixed multivariable logistic regression models estimated the effect of antenatal steroid exposure, one model accounting for individual risk factors as fixed effects, and a second model incorporating a predicted probability factor estimating overall risk status for each time period. RESULTS: The study cohort included 28 252 infants. Antenatal steroid exposure increased from 80.1% in 2005 to 90.3% in 2016, severe IVH decreased from 14.5% to 9.0%, and mortality decreased from 12.8% to 9.1%. When stratified by group, 3-year observed outcomes improved significantly in infants exposed to antenatal steroids (12.5%-8.6% for IVH, 11.5%-8.8% for death) but not in those not exposed (20.7%-19.1% and 16.6%-15.5%, respectively). Women not receiving antenatal steroids had greater risk profile (such as no prenatal care) and greater predicted probability for severe IVH and mortality. Both outcomes exhibited little change (P > .05) over time for the group without antenatal steroids. In contrast, in women receiving antenatal steroids, observed and adjusted rates for both outcomes decreased (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: As the population's proportion of antenatal steroid use increased, the observed positive effect of antenatal steroids also increased. This apparent increase may be designated as the "population improvement bias."

Outcomes of Infants with Very Low Birth Weight Associated with Birthplace Difference: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Births in Japan and California.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether outcomes among infants with very low birth weight (VLBW) vary according to the birthplace (Japan or California) controlling for maternal ethnicity. STUDY DESIGN: Severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and mortality were ascertained for infants with VLBW born at 24-29 weeks of gestation during 2008-2017 and retrospectively analyzed by the country of birth for mothers and infants (Japan or California). RESULTS: Rates of severe IVH, mortality, or combined IVH/mortality were lower in the 24 095 infants born in Japan (5.1%, 5.0%, 8.8% respectively) compared with infants born in California either to 157 mothers with Japanese ethnicity (12.5%, 9.7%, 17.8%) or to a comparison group of 6173 non-Hispanic white mothers (8.4%, 8.8%, 14.6%). ORs for adverse outcomes were increased for infants born in California to mothers with Japanese ethnicity compared with infants born in Japan for severe IVH (OR, 3.31; 95% CI, 1.93-5.68), mortality (3.73; 95% CI, 2.03-6.86), and the combined outcome (3.26; 95% CI, 2.02-5.27). The odds of these outcomes also were increased for infants born in California to non-Hispanic white mothers compared with infants born in Japan. Outcomes of infants born in California did not differ by Japanese or non-Hispanic white maternal ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Low rates of severe IVH and mortality for infants with VLBW born in Japan were not seen in infants born in California to mothers with Japanese ethnicity. Differences in systems of regional perinatal care, social environment, and the quality of perinatal care may partially account for these differences in outcomes.

Building the First Statewide Quality Improvement Collaborative, the CPQCC: A Historic Perspective.

The California Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (CPQCC), founded in 1997, was the country's first statewide perinatal quality improvement collaborative. Our goal was to improve the quality and outcomes of perinatal healthcare in California by developing a collaborative network of public and private obstetric and neonatal providers, insurers, public health professionals, and business groups to support a system for benchmarking and performance improvement activities for perinatal care. In this presentation, we describe how viewing the CPQCC as a complex value-driven organization, committed to identifying and addressing the needs of both its stakeholder partners and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) members, has shaped the course of its development.

Intravenous calcium as a pressor in a swine model of hypoxic pseudo-pulseless electrical mechanical activity-a preliminary report.

BACKGROUND: Pseudo-pulseless electrical activity (pseudo-PEA) is a lifeless form of profound cardiac shock characterized by measurable cardiac mechanical activity without clinically detectable pulses. Pseudo-PEA may constitute up to 40% of reported cases of cardiac arrest. Resuscitation from pseudo-PEA is often associated with hypotension refractory to catecholamine pressors. We hypothesized that this post-resuscitation state may be associated with hypocalcemic hypotension responsive to intravenous calcium. METHODS: Using pre-existing data from our hypoxic swine pseudo-PEA model, we measured blood pressure, hemodynamics, and electrolytes. Physiological data were analyzed on a heartbeat by heartbeat basis. The midpoint of the calcium response was defined using change of curvature feature detection. Hemodynamic parameters were shifted such that the value at the midpoint was equal to zero. RESULTS: In 9 animals with refractory hypotension, we administered 37 boluses of intravenous calcium in the dosage range of 5-20 mg. Comparisons were made between the average values in the time period 40-37 s before the midpoint and 35-40 s after the midpoint. Of the 37 administered boluses, 34 manifested a change in the blood pressure, with mean aortic pressure, systolic and diastolic pressures all increasing post bolus administration. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of intravenous calcium may be associated with a pressor-like response in refractory hypotension after resuscitation from pseudo-PEA. Relative ionized hypocalcemia may cause hypotension after resuscitation from pseudo-PEA. Therapy with intravenous calcium should be further investigated in this setting.

Maternal and infant predictors of infant mortality in California, 2007-2015.

OBJECTIVE: To identify current maternal and infant predictors of infant mortality, including maternal sociodemographic and economic status, maternal perinatal smoking and obesity, mode of delivery, and infant birthweight and gestational age. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed data from the linked birth and infant death files (birth cohort) and live births from the Birth Statistical Master files (BSMF) in California compiled by the California Department of Public Health for 2007-2015. The birth cohort study comprised 4,503,197 singleton births including 19,301 infant deaths during the nine-year study period. A subpopulation to study fetal growth consisted of 4,448,300 birth cohort records including 13,891 infant deaths. RESULTS: The infant mortality rate (IMR) for singleton births decreased linearly (p <0.001) from 4.68 in 2007 to 3.90 (per 1,000 live births) in 2015. However, significant disparities in IMR were uncovered in different population groups depending upon maternal sociodemographic and economic characteristics and maternal characteristics during pregnancy. Children of African American women had almost twice the risk of infant mortality when compared with children of White women (AOR 2.12; 95% CI, 1.98-2.27; p<0.001). Infants of women with Bachelor's degrees or higher were 89% less likely to die (AOR 1.89; 95% CI, 1.76-2.04; p<0.001) when compared to infants of women with education less than high school. Infants of maternal smokers were 75% more likely to die (AOR 1.75; 95% CI, 1.58-1.93; p<0.001) than infants of nonsmokers. Infants of women who were overweight and obese during pregnancy accounted for 55% of IMR over all women in the study. More than half of the infant deaths were to children of women with lower socioeconomic status; infants of WIC participants were 59% more likely to die (AOR 1.59; 95% CI, 1.52-1.67; p<0.001) than infants of non-WIC participants. With respect to infant predictors, infants born with LBW or PTB were more than six times (AOR 6.29; 95% CI, 5.90-6.70; p<0.001) and almost four times (AOR 3.95; 95% CI, 3.73-4.19; p<0.001) more likely to die than infants who had normal births, respectively. SGA and LGA infants were more than two times (AOR 2.03; 95% CI, 1.92-2.15; p<0.001) and 41% (AOR 1.41; 95% CI, 1.32-1.52; p<0.001) more likely to die than AGA infants, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: While the overall IMR in California is declining, wide disparities in death rates persist in different groups, and these disparities are increasing. Our data indicate that maternal sociodemographic and economic factors, as well as maternal prepregnancy obesity and smoking during pregnancy, have a prominent effect on IMR though no causality can be inferred with the current data. These predictors are not typically addressed by direct medical care. Infant factors with a major effect on IMR are birthweight and gestational age-predictors that are addressed by active medical services. The highest value interventions to reduce IMR may be social and public health initiatives that mitigate disparities in sociodemographic, economic and behavioral risks for mothers.

Time of Birth and the Risk of Severe Unexpected Complications in Term Singleton Neonates.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether there is a relationship between evening, night, and weekend births and severe unexpected neonatal morbidity in low-risk term singleton births. METHODS: We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional analysis. Severe unexpected neonatal morbidity as defined by the National Quality Forum specification 0716 was derived from linked birth certificate and hospital discharge summaries for 1,048,957 low-risk singleton term Californian births during 2011 through 2013. The association between the nursing shift (7 am-3 pm vs 3-11 pm and 11 pm -7 am) and weekday compared with weekend birth and the risk of severe unexpected neonatal morbidity was estimated using mixed effects logistic regression models. RESULTS: Severe unexpected neonatal morbidity was higher among births during the 3-11 pm evening shift (2.1%) and the 11 pm-7 am night shift (2.1%), compared with those during the 7 am-3 pm day shift (1.8%). The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were 1.10 (95% CI 1.06-1.13) for the evening shift and 1.15 (1.11-1.19) for the night shift. The adjusted ORs of severe unexpected neonatal morbidity were increased only on Sunday, as compared with other days (adjusted OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.14). When our analysis was by perinatal region, the increase was seen in four of the nine perinatal regions. CONCLUSION: After risk adjustment, the risk of severe unexpected morbidity in the low-risk singleton California birth cohort was significantly increased on Sundays and births during evening and night shifts. These elevations were detected in only four of California's nine perinatal regions. Further analysis at the individual hospital level is warranted.