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Background & Aim: Preterm infants are at increased risk for readmission after discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit. Some factors and characteristics of preterm infants have an effect on their readmissions. This study aimed to determine neonatal factors related to preterm infants’ readmissions to the neonatal intensive care unit.

Methods & Materials: This correlational study was conducted on a sample of preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at three teaching hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in 2013. Samples were studied using a questionnaire on possible factors and characteristics related to readmission including sex, gestational age, birth weight, multiple birth and length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit after discharge. The infants were also followed for readmission thirty days after discharge. The data were initially analyzed by univariate analysis and then by the logistic regression model.

Results: The results of univariate analysis revealed that the infants readmitted at the time of follow up were significantly more premature and had lower birth weight and a longer initial hospital stay in the neonatal intensive care units (P<0.001). In the logistic regression model, only gestational age and birth weight had a significant statistical association with infants’ readmission (R: 0.805, P=0.001 and odds ratio: 0.998, P=0.001 respectively).

Conclusion: Infants’ gestational age and birth weight were associated with hospital readmission within thirty days after discharge, so that the infants with lower gestational age and birth weight were more likely to be hospitalized again after discharge.

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Background & Aim: Optimal weight gain during pregnancy, as an important indicator of maternal and fetal health, is affected by many adjustable variables. The present study was conducted to evaluate the gestational age-specific weight gain based on the indices of the American Institute of Medicine and to determine its related factors.
Methods & Materials: In this descriptive study, 250 pregnant women referred to the health centers of Torbat Heydarieh were assessed in 2018. The gestational age-specific weight gain was calculated for each woman, and based on the amount of deviation from the IOM indices, the subjects were divided into three groups including weight gain less than optimal, optimal and over than optimal. Data collection tools were demographic questionnaire and Multidimensional Body Relationship Questionnaire. Data were analyzed by chi-square, ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis tests and ordinal regression using the SPSS software version 16.
Results: In this study, 22% of the subjects gained weight less than optimal, 46.4% gained weight normally and 31.6% had excessive weight gain. Weight gain in most women with normal and low body mass index was in a normal range (55.4%) and in most overweight and obese women was higher than an optimal range (43.2% and 35.7%, respectively). Weight gain was related to age, education, parity, abortion history, feelings of women and their partners toward pregnancy and wanting the pregnancy from the viewpoint of the partner (P<0.05). After entering the significant variables into the ordinal regression model, only nulliparity was able to predict pregnancy weight gain status (P=0.017).
Conclusion: Optimal weight gain in most pregnant women of this study may reflect the proper nutrition and effectiveness of prenatal care in this city. Identifying factors related to weight gain out-of-range increases the effectiveness of interventions on weight gain.