Baseline data of the study infants
| 3-Hourly (n=75) | 2-Hourly (n=75) | Mean difference (95% CI) | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth weight* | 1.30 (0.13) | 1.27 (0.15) | 0.03 (−0.01 to 0.08) | 0.14† |
| Gestational age* | 30.9 (2.2) | 30.4 (2.3) | 0.45 (−0.27 to 1.17) | 0.22† |
| Haematocrit (D1 of life)* | 48.2 (7.4) | 49.9 (7.4) | −1.66 (−4.05 to 0.74) | 0.17† |
| Expressed breast milk (%)* | 50.5 (37.4) | 48.4 (38.9) | 2.14 (−10.2 to 14.5) | 0.73† |
| Presence of UAC, n (%) | 46 (61.3) | 50 (66.6) | 0.61‡ | |
| Duration of UAC (days)* | 2.20 (2.12) | 2.87 (2.32) | −0.67 (−1.38 to 0.49) | 0.07† |
| Age started on feeding (days)§ | 2.00 (1.2) | 2.00 (1.2) | 0.92¶ | |
| Duration of ventilation (hours)§ | 22.0 (4.58) | 21.0 (7.48) | 0.73¶ | |
| On CPAP, n (%) | 66 (88.0%) | 72 (96.0%) | 0.13‡ | |
| Duration of CPAP (hours)§ | 44.0 (15 123) | 73.0 (25 143) | 0.07¶ | |
| Male, n (%) | 37 (49.3) | 40 (53.3) | 0.62‡ | |
| Weight to GA, n (%) | ||||
| AGA | 55 (73.3) | 58 (77.3) | 0.57‡ | |
| SGA | 20 (26.7) | 17 (22.7) | ||
| Antenatal dexamethasone, n (%) | 56 (75.7) | 56 (74.7) | 0.89‡ | |
| Inotropic support, n (%) | 11 (14.7) | 13 (17.3) | 0.66‡ | |
| Presence of PDA, n (%) | 24 (32.0) | 23 (30.7) | 0.86‡ | |
| Treatment with NSAID for PDA, n (%) | 15 (20.0) | 14 (18.7) | 0.84‡ | |
| Surfactant, n (%) | 54 (77.3) | 58 (72.0) | 0.45‡ | |
| Aminophylline, n (%) | 49 (65.3) | 51 (68.0) | 0.73‡ | |
| Violation of protocol, n (%) | 4 (5.3) | 1 (1.3) | 0.39‡ | |
*Mean (SD).
†Independent t-test.
‡Pearson's χ2 test.
§Median (25th, 75th centile).
¶Mann-Whitney U test.
AGA, appropriate for gestational age; CPAP, continuous positive airway pressure; GA, gestational age; NSAID, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; PDA, patent ductus arteriosus; SGA, small for gestational age; UAC, umbilical arterial catheter.