Maternal and neonatal demographics of macrosomic infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit

Objective:the objective of this study is to determine the incidence, significance, associated demographics and impact of macrosomic infants (⩾4 kg) admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (nicu) on nicu census and resources.study design:a retrospective cohort review was performed from 2010 to 2015. descriptive statistical analyses were used.results:of 19 308 deliveries, 1823 were infants ⩾4000 g and 213 were admitted to the nicu. cesarean delivery occurred in 70% of the admitted infants, most (74.1%) were grade 1 macrosomia and male (63%). preterm birth occurred in 4%. the incidence of maternal diabetes was 25%. primary admitting diagnoses were respiratory distress, suspected sepsis, hypoglycemia and perinatal depression. the average length of stay was 8±6 days for all macrosomic infants admitted, increased to 22±13 days for infants with grade 3 macrosomia.conclusion:macrosomic infants are a growing population, who increase the demand on existing nicu resources. a larger multi-centered study is needed to determine the overall relevance of these findings in other populations.