Outcome of premature neonates born in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

In this retrospective review, premature neonates less than 34 weeks gestation admitted to a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Nairobi, Kenya from February 2012 to October 2015 were identified from medical records and database. There were 88 neonates admitted to the neonatal unit, out of which 78 survived. There were 10 pairs of twins and 1 set of triplets. The gestational age ranged from 26 weeks to 33.7 weeks gestation, with a mean gestation of 30.3 (± 1.8) weeks, and a mean birth weight of 1,508 (± 381) g. The smallest neonate who survived weighed 800 g. Smaller babies needed mechanical ventilation for a longer duration and stayed longer in NICU. Less than half of the neonates in our cohort received antenatal dexamethasone. We plan to have further discussion with the obstetricians to increase antenatal steroid use. Ten babies died during this period. With improved perinatal care in Kenya, we anticipate better survival and outcome of these preterm babies.