Neonates--a neglected paediatric age group.
OBJECTIVE
To determine a change in the mortality of admitted children (neonates and children above 28 days of age to less than 17 years) and to document a change in the causes of neonatal admissions along with their mortality during a four year period.


METHODS
Conducted in Pediatric Unit-I, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur. The data of all the children admitted from 1st January 2005 to 31st December 2008 was analyzed.


RESULTS
The mortality among admitted neonates was significantly higher than that of children of postneonatal age group. There was decrease in mortality among not only total admitted children but also among admitted children with postneonatal age group, i.e., 1 month to less than 17 years of age over a four year period (2005-2008) while no such decrease was seen in children of neonatal age group. The three common causes of neonatal admission and deaths were sepsis, birth asphyxia and prematurity.


CONCLUSIONS
There was no improvement in neonatal mortality over a 4 year period. However, a decrease in postneonatal mortality was seen.
Department of Paediatrics, Quaid-e-Azam Medical College.
Attaullah
A
Mazhar
Abdul
A
Rehman
Muhammad Amin
MA
Sheikh
Malik Muhammad
MM
Naeem
Imran
I
Qaisar
Memoona
M
Mazhar
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D017678:Sex Distribution