Aim To assess rates of hospitalization due to RSV during 2 years follow up after palivizumab prophylaxis and identification of related factors.

Methods Neonates below 32 weeks of gestation born between 2006–2007 were enrolled. Palivizumab was administered prior to discharge and once monthly for a 6 month period. Independent factors were correlated with number of lower respiratory tract infections and rates of hospitalization using ANOVA statistics. Tobacco exposure and family history were also recorded

Results Between 2006 and 2007, from a total of 95 neonates 48 and 35 neonates survived respectively, of which 43 males (45.3%) and 52 females (54.7%), with mean gestation 29.05 weeks (min: 24, max: 32, SD: 2.33), and mean BW: 1220.31 (min: 580, max: 1910, SD: 356.26). Mean hospital stay was 44.10 days (min: 1, max: 181, SD: 34.16). Mean days on ventilation was 4.53 (min: 0, max: 69, SD: 10.75), on NCPAP 11.6 (min: 0, max: 56, SD: 13.11), days of incubator oxygen 12.18 (min: 0, max: 174, SD: 21.8). Twenty-nine neonates required respiratory support at 28 days (41.4%), and 32 were on more than 21% of oxygen (38.1%), while 15 (18.3%) remained on oxygen at 36 weeks corrected gestation. Number of hospital admissions was 4.3% with 3 cases requiring more than 1 admission (3.6%).

Conclusions Lower gestational age (p: 0.011), birth weight (p: 0.042) and CLD (p: 0.000) correlated significantly with higher rates of hospitalization.