Length of stay and cost of birth hospitalization: effects of subfertility and ART

OBJECTIVE: To measure delivery length of stay (LOS) and cost as proxies for infant morbidity in assisted reproductive technology (ART) and subfertile deliveries. STUDY DESIGN: Massachusetts singleton births, ≥23 weeks gestational age (GA) between 2004 and 2010 were linked with ART data, vital records, and hospital discharges. LOS and costs (2010 US Dollars) of infants born to fertile (no ART or indicators of infertility), subfertile (indicators of infertility but no ART), and ART-treated (linked to ART data) deliveries were compared. Least square means and standard errors (SE) were calculated. RESULTS: Of 345,756 singletons, (fertile n=332,481, subfertile n=4,987 and ART-treated n=8,288), overall LOS was 3.79±0.01, 4.32±0.05, and 4.90±0.04 days and costs were $2,980±6, $3,217±58, and $4,483 ±62, respectively. GA and birthweight predicted much of the intergroup difference. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal fertility group was not an independent predictor of infant LOS and costs. Prematurity and birthweight were driving factors in resource utilization.