Medical outcome and post-natal growth approach of premature infant in ambulatory follow-up in N’Djamena (Chad)

Abstract

The survival of preterm infants depends on the health development level of each country and those who survive need a closer follow-up after the discharge. The objective of this study was to evaluate morbidity, mortality and post-natal growth of preterm infants in the first six-month of life in a low income country. This was a longitudinal study from May 2015 to June 2016 in the pediatrics department of the Mother and Child Teaching Hospital of N’Djamena. It involved all preterm infants hospitalized during six months of inclusion period and followed in this structure. The morbidity rate was 26.9% in the first month of follow-up. The more frequent pathologies were acute respiratory infections (37%), functional digestive troubles (33%) followed by anemia and malaria (15%). Eight infants (11.9%) had been hospitalized again with 3 deaths recorded (4.5%). The growth was regular but the measures were mostly less than -2 Z score. Average weight was 6165.6 g at 6 months; average height: 60.72 cm and average head circumference: 41.62 cm. Adjustment of cranial circumference was earliest with 53 and 87% of normal value at 3 and 6 months respectively. The improvement of care of preterm infants would need the development of perinatalogy and follow-up network.