Patient characteristics of both control groups and intervention groups in NICU1 and NICU227
| Characteristics | Control group NICU1 (n=140) | NIB intervention group NICU1 (n=140) | Control group NICU2 (n=140) | NIB intervention group NICU2 (n=141) |
| Gestational age in weeks, mean±SD | 27.3±1.7 | 27.6±1.5 | 27.8±1.6 | 27.4±1.5 |
| Gender, number (%) | 72 male (51) | 75 male (54) | 80 male (57) | 66 male (47) |
| Birth weight z-score, mean±SD | −0.8±1.3 | −1.0±1.4 | −0.8±1.4 | −0.9±1.4 |
| Apgar score at 5 min, median (IQR) | 8 (2) | 8 (2) | 8 (2) | 8 (2) |
| Antenatal corticosteroids, % of cases | 69% | 70% | 74% | 74% |
| Breech position, % of cases | 19% | 21% | 29% | 26% |
| Caesarean section, % of cases | 55% | 58% | 58% | 61% |
| CRIB score, median (IQR) | 3 (5) | 3 (3) | 2 (4) | 3 (5) |
| Intubation rate, % of infants intubated at least once in first 72 hours after birth | 62% | 61% | 56% | 70% |
| Duration of endotracheal mechanical ventilation in hours, median (IQR) during first 72 hours after birth | 31 (70) | 25 (70) | 29 (66) | 35 (70) |
| Surfactant therapy, % of cases Of which: using minimal invasive surfactant replacement therapy | 66% 0% | 70% 2% (3 infants) | 52% 16% (22 infants) | 66% 18% (25 infants) |
| Necrotising enterocolitis, number of infants (%) | 9 (6%) | 8 (6%) | 3 (2%) | 6 (4%) |
| Sepsis, number of infants (%) | 29 (21%) | 31 (22%) | 26 (19%) | 24 (17%) |
| Posthaemorrhagic ventricular dilatation with need of intervention, number of infants (%) | 3 (2%) | 1 (1%) | 4 (3%) | 1 (1%) |
CRIB, clinical risk index for babies; NIB, nursing intervention bundle; NICU, neonatal intensive care unit.