Evaluation of Premature Infants Hospitalized in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between 2010-2012.
OBJECTIVE
With continuing developments in the field of neonatology, survival rates of low birth weight and small for gestational age infants have increased, which in turn has brought important prematurity-related problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the prematurity problems that are the significant causes of morbidity and mortality.


METHODS
613 premature infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit of Ataturk University Medical Faculty Hospital between January 2010 and January 2012 were included in this study. Infants were divided into groups according to their birth weight and gestational age.


RESULTS
323 infants were male (52.6%) and 290 were female (47.4%). 63.9% of infants weighed ≥1500 grams, and 58.5% had a gestational age of ≥33 weeks. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) was detected in 249 (40.6%), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in 124 (20.2%), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in 41 (6.6%), retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in 202 (32.9%), and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in 15 (2.4%). RDS, BPD, NEC, ROP, and ICH rates were inversely proportional to decreases in gestational age and birth weight, and were found to be statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Mortality and morbidity rates were similar to the other data published from our country, but the rates were above those reported in developed countries. We believe that our morbidity and mortality rates can reach levels comparable to those of developed countries with improved antenatal care, regular follow-up of pregnancy and increased numbers of physicians and health care personnel per patient.
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
Ibrahim
I
Caner
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
Kadir Serafettin
KS
Tekgunduz
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
Aytul
A
Temuroglu
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
Yasar
Y
Demirelli
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Ataturk University Faculty of Medicine, Erzurum, Turkey.
Mustafa
M
Kara
Morbidity; mortality; premature