Most babies admitted to the NICU are premature (born before 37 weeks of pregnancy), have low birth weight (less than 5.5 pounds), or have a medical condition that requires special care.
Independent variable. An independent variable is used in statistics to predict or explain a dependent variable. For example, Age and Gender might be used as independent variables to predict the age of death or life expectancy (dependent variables). In experimental designs, the independent variables are manipulated by the researcher (e.g., different dosages of a drug).
The independent variable is the variable that the researcher manipulates in the experiment. This variable will then be hypothesized in order to influence the dependent variable. The independent variable has a big effect on the entire experiment, and is very important in drawing the conclusion of the experiment.