Incidence and Risk Factors of Thrombocytopenia in Neonates Admitted With Surgical Disorders to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital; A One-Year Observational Prospective Cohort Study From a Low-Income Country

Abstract

Background: Thrombocytopenia is one of the most common hematologic disorders affecting neonates who are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit with a reported incidence of 18-35%. Several maternal, neonatal and perinatal factors contribute to the development of thrombocytopenia. This study is aimed to determine the incidence and associated risk factors of neonatal thrombocytopenia. Methods: An observational prospective cohort study was conducted and all neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital with surgical disorders in the study period were included. Data was collected using a checklist and analysed by SPSS version 23. Chi square test and independent sample T- test were used to asses the association among different variables. Findings: A total of 210 neonates were included in the study out of which 56.2% were males. The incidence of thrombocytopenia in the study period was 55.8%. Among neonates with thrombocytopenia, 90.9% had a late onset thrombocytopenia and half of them were in the severe range (<50,000/µl). The presence of sepsis(P=0.000) and atresia (P=0.000) were found to be significantly associated with the development of thrombocytopenia. The mean non feeding hours were found to be significantly longer for patients with thrombocytopenia (t (199), 5.81, P= 0.000). Interpretation: The incidence of thrombocytopenia in neonates admitted with surgical disorders was high in our institution. Preventive methods towards neonatal sepsis including antenatal and postnatal measures should be given due emphasis. Initiation of oral feedings in neonates as early as feasible is recommended. Funding Statement: Addis Ababa University has granted the fund for this study. Declaration of Interests: None. Ethics Approval Statement: Written informed consent was taken from parents of enrolled neonates and each neonate’s clinical data was kept in confidential manner using a coding system. Ethical clearance for this study was obtained from ethical board of the medical college.