An assessment of admission and outcome trends among neonates admitted in special newborn care unit (SNCU) of Jalgaon, Maharashtra

Abstract

Background: Children face the highest risk of dying in their first 28 days of life (neonatal period). Simple interventions have been tested and found to be effective in reducing the neonatal mortality. Facility Based Newborn Care (FBNC) has a significant potential for improving newborn survival. SNCU is a neonatal unit in the vicinity of labor room which is to provide special care (all care except assisted ventilation and major surgery) for sick newborns. Aims and objectives: To study the trend of neonatal admissions and their outcomes over a period of 7 years i.e. from the year (2013) of establishment to current year (2019) at SNCU in a district level hospital in Maharashtra. Materials and method: The present descriptive observational study with longitudinal design was conducted in the Government supported SNCU of District Hospital of Jalgaon District of Maharashtra which included all the neonates admitted in SNCUs from January 2013 to December 2019.The SNCU monthly report which is in a predefined format from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, which includes data on admission information, reasons of admission, course of admission, and mortality reasons (if any) with treatment outcomes was used for data collection. Result: It was seen that during the study period (i.e. from January 2013 to December 2019) total 16489 neonates were admitted to the SNCU. During the first year (2013) total 1182 neonates were admitted which went on increasing in subsequent years as 2494, 2916, 2944, 2525, 2078 and 2350 neonates were admitted in the year 2014,2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Yearwise data shows proportions of males and females were approximately similar with male preponderance in each year. Proportion of outborn neonates went on steadily increasing (26.90% in 2013 to 46.26% in 2019) and that of inborn neonates went on decreasing (73.10% in 2013 to 53.74% in 2019). Yearwise trend shows that more and more (54.65% in 2013 to 68.13% in 2019) LBWs were admitted as compared to NBWs neonates (45.35% in 2013 to 68.13% in 2019). Decreasing trend in the mortality was observed from 2013 to 2019 as neonatal mortality rate went on decreasing. It was recorded 18.75% in 2013, 12.43% in 2014, 11.48% in 2015, 12.59% in 2016, 10.54% in 2017, 4.75% in 2018, and 5.77% in 2019. Conclusion: Over a period of 7 years from 2013 to 2019 neonatal mortality went on decreasing including decrease in LBW. and preterm neonates.