title: Characterization of newborns with nonimmune hydrops fetalis admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence and characteristics of nonimmune hydrops fetalis in the newborn population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of the period between 1996 and 2000, including all newborns with a prenatal or early neonatal diagnosis of nonimmune hydrops fetalis, based on clinical history, physical examination, and laboratory evaluation. The following were analyzed: prenatal follow-up, delivery type, gender, birth weight, gestational age, presence of perinatal asphyxia, nutritional classification, etiopathic diagnosis, length of hospital stay, mortality, and age at death.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 47 newborns with hydrops fetalis (0.42% of live births), 18 (38.3%) with the immune form and 29 (61.7%) with the nonimmune form, were selected for study. The incidence of nonimmune hydrops fetalis was 1 per 414 neonates. Data was obtained from 21 newborns, with the following characteristics: 19 (90.5%) were suspected from prenatal diagnosis, 18 (85.7%) were born by cesarean delivery, 15 (71.4%) were female, and 10 (47.6%) were asphyxiated. The average weight was 2665.9 g, and the average gestational age was 35 3/7 weeks; 14 (66.6%) were preterm; 18 (85.0 %) appropriate delivery time; and 3 (14.3%) were large for gestational age. The etiopathic diagnosis was determined for 62%, which included cardiovascular (19.0%), infectious (9.5%), placental (4.8%), hematologic (4.7%), genitourinary (4.8%), and tumoral causes (4.8%), and there was a combination of causes in 9.5%. The etiology was classified as idiopathic in 38%. The length of hospital stay was 26.6 +/- 23.6 days, and the mortality rate was 52.4%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The establishment of a suitable etiopathic diagnosis associated with prenatal detection of nonimmune hydrops fetalis can be an important step in reducing the neonatal mortality rate from this condition.
authors.affiliation: Departament and Experimental Research Unit, Children's Institute, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata Suman
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Mascaretti
authors.forename: Mário Cícero
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Falcão
authors.forename: Andrea M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Flávio Adolfo Costa
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Vaz
authors.forename: Cléa Rodrigues
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Leone
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015160:Hydrops Fetalis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies