Table 2 Infant characteristics by intervention group (N = 253)

Demographic characteristics

 NICU site, % (n)

0.52

  Site A

37% (53)

44% (50)

  Site B

23% (32)

20% (22)

  Site C

40% (56)

36% (40)

 Female sex, % (n)

49% (69)

41% (46)

0.21

 Race/ethnicity, % (n)

0.72

  Asian

9% (13)

13% (15)

  Black

16% (22)

16% (18)

  Hispanic/Latino (any race)

38% (54)

37% (41)

  White

23% (32)

25% (28)

  Other or multiple race

10% (14)

5% (6)

  Unknown

4% (6)

4% (4)

Birth characteristics

 Mean gestational age (GA), weeks

28.6 (2.8)

28.5 (2.5)

0.92

 Gestational age group, % (n)

0.52

  22–28 weeks

50% (71)

54% (61)

  29–33 weeks

50% (70)

46% (51)

 Mean birthweight, grams

1194 (470)

1182 (462)

0.85

 Small for gestational age, % (n)

9% (13)

10% (11)

0.87

 Outborn, % (n)

33% (46)

29% (32)

0.49

 Multiple birth, % (n)

13% (18)

19% (21)

0.19

 Mean Apgar score at 5 min

7.0 (1.8)

6.9 (2.1)

0.84

 Apgar score ≥ 7, % (n)

72% (101)

64% (70)

0.18

Clinical characteristics

 Ventilation in NICU, % (n)

55% (77)

59% (66)

0.49

 Any surgeries, % (n)

26% (36)

25% (28)

0.87

 Median number of surgeries

0 (0–5)

0 (0–6)

0.92

 Mean days on total parenteral nutrition

21.5 (2.1)

25.3 (2.8)

0.28

 Intraventricular hemorrhage, % (n)

21.3% (30)

23.2% (26)

0.71

 Necrotizing enterocolitis, % (n)

9.2% (13)

8.9% (10)

0.94

Discharge characteristics

 Mean length of hospital stay, days

74 (52)

84 (55)

0.14

 Disposition, % (n)

0.39

  Home

90% (127)

88% (99)

  Transferred to another hospital (lower intensity care)

10% (14)

13% (13)

 Discharged home or transferred with a respiratory device, % (n)

20% (28)

23% (26)

0.52

 Discharged home or transferred with a feeding device, % (n)

19% (26)

24% (27)

0.28

Study characteristics

 Median postnatal age at study enrollment, days

15 (4–97)

19 (4-117)

0.09

 Mean gestational age at enrollment, wks

31.8 (2.4)

32.2 (2.9)

0.25