Impact of nosocomial infections on neurodevelopmental outcome and rehospitalization rate in preterm infants with birth weight below 1500 g (NINO study)

Objective This study aimed to determine the influence of nosocomial bacterial and viral infections of preterm very low birth weight (VLBW) infants on neurodevelopmental outcome and on rehospitalization rates during the first two years of life. Study design Retrospective single-center cohort study including preterm infant born between 2010 and 2018 and followed until two years of age corrected for prematurity (Bayley scales). Results Of 620 study infants 418 without neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI). were compared to 202 infants with NDI. Single or multiple nosocomial infections were not risk factors for NDI in a multivariate logistic regression model checked for multicollinearity. Infants with NDI were of younger gestational age, had lower birth weights and higher rates of neonatal complications (ileus, periventricular leukomalacia, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia). Nosocomial infection were also not risk factors for rehospitalizations by infectious diseases. Conclusions Nosocomial infections did not significantly influence NDI and rehospitalization rates in preterm VLBW infants. Trial registration number The study was registered at “Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien” DRKS00019000.