Seven years later: state neonatal risk-appropriate care policy consistency with the 2012 American Academy of Pediatrics Policy.

Abstract

To assess consistency of state neonatal risk-appropriate care policies with the 2012 AAP policy seven years post-publication. Systematic, web-based review of all publicly available 2019 state neonatal levels of care policies. Information on infant risk (gestational age, birth weight), technology and equipment capabilities, and availability of specialty staffing used to define neonatal levels of care was extracted for review. Half of states (50%) had a neonatal risk-appropriate care policy. Of those states, 88% had language consistent with AAP-defined Level I criteria, 80% with Level II, 56% with Level III, and 55% with Level IV. Comparing policies (2014-2019), consistency increased in state policies among all levels of care with the greatest increase among level IV criteria. States improved consistency of policy language by each level of care, though half of states still lack policy to provide minimum standards of care to the most vulnerable infants.