Pattern of Neonatal Admission and Outcome at a Nigerian tertiary Health Institution

Aim: To describe the pattern of neonatal admission in a tertiary health institution in a developing country and to identify factors associated with its outcome. Subjects and Methods: A retrospective review of 447 neonates admitted at Federal Medical Centre Abakaliki, Nigeria over a 3-year period (November 2000-October 2003). Results: A total of 447 newborn babies were admitted into the Newborn Special Care Unit (NBSCLJ) with the inborn and out born babies constituting 89.3% and 10.7% respectively. Neonatal sepsis (32.4%), prematurity (28.6%) and neonatal asphyxia (14.8%) were the commonest indication for admission. The overall mortality was 19.5% with majority of the deaths occurring in the first week of life. The identified risk factor for neonatal death included birth weight less than 1500g, place of birth, mode of delivery, certain maternal-related factors such as ignorance, low socioeconomic status, non-attendance to antenatal clinic and low parity. Conclusions: Improved access to antenatal care, maternal health education and upgrading existing infrastructure in tertiary institutions will significantly reduce neonatal mortality. Key Words: Neonatal admission pattern, outcome, tertiary institution, Nigeria. Orient Journal of Medicine Vol.16(3&4) 2004: 31-37