Morbidity pattern based on clinico-biochemical profile of neonates admitted in NICU of a tertiary care hospital in the mid north bank region of Assam

Abstract

The neonatal period carries the highest risk of death per day compared to any other period during childhood. Of all newborn deaths three fourths result from three preventable and treatable conditions– complications due to prematurity, intrapartum related deaths (including birth asphyxia) and neonatal infections. The study was to describe the morbidity pattern with outcome, based on clinical diagnosis and relevant biochemical parameters amongst neonates admitted in NICU in the tertiary care hospital. A retrospective case record analysis of all the NICU admissions between January 2021 to March 2021 was done based on both electronic and hard data. The neonates with complete records of clinical presentation, relevant biochemical investigations were included in the study. Out of 624 neonates admitted in NICU during the study period, 622 were included in the final analysis. The proportion of fullterm and preterm among inborns (77.6% &18.8%) and outborns (76.2% & 21.8%) were similar, but the proportion of low-birth-weight babies in outborns was higher than in the inborns. The overall discharge rate was 85.5%. It was higher for inborn neonates as compared to outborn neonates (88.7% vs 79%). The death rate was higher in outborns than in inborns. The highest no of NICU admission was due to asphyxia related conditions followed by neonatal jaundice in both genders and in all inborn and outborn neonates. Out of total admissions in NICU, 72(11.6%) was due to infections causing neonatal sepsis, meningitis and acquired pneumonia. While neonatal jaundice has a lower mortality rate, preventable conditions like birth asphyxia and infections remain major concerns for neonatal morbidity and mortality in this region. The study emphasizes the need for strengthened antenatal care, improved infection control, and increased access to trained neonatologists to ensure better outcomes for newborns.