Admission pattern of neonatal intensive care unit in southern Jharkhand -Research study

Abstract

The neonatal mortality rate at 25.4 deaths per 1,000 live births in India makes it 12th worst among the 52 lower-middle-income countries. There is a wide disparity among the states of India. While Kerala and Goa have neonatal mortality rates of 10 per 1,000 live births, the figure for Bihar and Uttarakhand stands high at 44 per 1,000. Moreover, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan who account for 46 percent of all births, accounts to 57 percent of India’s neonatal deaths. This study was a retrospective observational study done at Tertiary Referral centre for paediatrics in Jamshedpur. The current study was aimed to assess the major causes leading to admissions and causes of death in our centre. The study observed that maximum number of babies having respiratory distress (mainly respiratory distress syndrome in preterm) 46% followed by sepsis 14.76%, birth asphyxia 12.69% at the time of admission. Maximum number of death was among babies who have respiratory distress 39.84%. This was followed by babies with Neonatal Sepsis 19.53%, birth asphyxia 15.62%.
Neonatal morbidity and mortality can be reduced with better antenatal and perinatal care, promoting institutional delivery, educating health care worker, early recognition and early referral to tertiary care centre. Hand washing and judicious use of antibiotic can prevent sepsis in tertiary care centre.