Admission patterns and risk factors linked with neonatal mortality: A hospital-based retrospective study

Objective: This research was conducted to analyze the elements and factors that link with newborn deaths at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of a public teaching hospital in Jordan.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted by reviewing the medical records of all the neonates admitted to the NICU over a one-year period from 1st of March, 2018 to 28th of February, 2019 at Princess Rahma Pediatric Hospital, Jordan.

Results: Overall, the medical records of 1247 neonates were included in this study. The common causes of admission were sepsis (27.3%), followed by respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (24.9%) and asphyxia (13.1%). The majority of the admitted neonates survived (91.9%), and the overall mortality rate was 8.1%. According to the cause-specific death rate analysis, RDS was the most common cause of death rate (35.6%), followed by sepsis (27.7%). Logistic regression analysis results show that gestational age, weight of the baby at birth, and the quick clinical assessment (Apgar) within the first five minutes were the strongest predictors of neonatal mortality (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Sepsis, RDS, and asphyxia were the leading causes of morbidity in neonates. These diseases were also responsible for a high rate of mortality. Understanding the cause of morbidity and mortality of neonates admitted at NICU is useful for prioritizing and planning health services, re-allocating resources, and improving the quality of care.