Outcomes of Clinically Stable 34‐Week Preterm Infants Managed in Rooming‐In Versus Neonatal Unit Admission

AIM: The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes and complications of infants born at 34 gestational weeks (GW) clinically stable between those admitted with their mother and those admitted separately. METHODS: Retrospective observational study at a tertiary hospital that included stable infants born at 34 GW between January 2021 and December 2025. Feeding outcomes, complications, and length of stay were compared between infants admitted in rooming-in with the mother (RI) and those admitted to the neonatal unit (NU). RESULTS: 121 infants were included (RI: 57; NU: 64), with similar baseline characteristics. Infants in RI had earlier skin-to-skin contact (RI: 0 h (IQR 0); NU: 1 h (IQR 14.2); p < 0.001) and colostrum exposure (RI: 2 h (IQR 3.2); NU: 5.5 h (IQR 8.2); p < 0.001), with higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding at 15 days post-discharge (RI: 63.2%; NU: 37.5%; p = 0.005). They required less nasogastric tube feeding (RI: 10.5%; NU: 76.6%; p < 0.001) and were discharged earlier (RI: 8 days (IQR 7); NU: 19 days (IQR 14); p < 0.001), without increased complications. CONCLUSION: RI is a model of care for clinically stable infants born at 34 GW that, in our population, improves early contact and feeding outcomes and reduces hospital stay without more complications than admission to the neonatal unit, supporting the importance of zero-separation policies.