Computer-Generated Versus Nurse-Determined Strategy for Incubator Humidity and Time to Regain Birthweight

Abstract

To compare effects on premature infants' weight gain of a computer-generated and a nurse-determined incubator humidity strategy. An optimal humidity protocol is thought to reduce time to regain birthweight. Prospective randomized controlled design. Level IIIC neonatal intensive care unit in the Netherlands. Infants of 24 to 30 weeks gestational age with a birthweight less than 1,500 g. Two incubator humidity strategies were studied: computer-generated and nurse-determined humidity. Time needed to regain birthweight. One hundred thirty six infants were enrolled: 65 were exposed to the computer-generated strategy and 71 to the nurse-determined strategy. Demographic characteristics were well balanced between groups, with birthweight 981 +/- 245 versus 991 +/- 213 g, mean gestational age 27.7 +/- 1.7 versus 27.7 +/- 1.6 weeks. Main outcome did not significantly differ between strategies: survival analysis showed an equal number of days needed to regain birthweight (median 9 days, with 95% CIs 8-10 and 7-11 for infants exposed to the computer-generated and nurse-determined humidity strategy, respectively). Computer-generated strategy does not reduce the time needed to regain birthweight.