title: Risk factors for neonatal intensive care unit admission in Amman, Jordan.
abstract: A better understanding of risk factors for neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission can inform interventions to improve neonatal survival. This study aimed to describe a population of newborns admitted to a NICU in Amman, Jordan, and compare them with newborns discharged to home. Newborns born within 96 hours at Al-Bashir Hospital were enrolled from February 2010 to June 2011. Demographic and clinical data were collected for mothers and newborns. Of 5466 enrolled neonates, 373 (6.8%) were admitted to the NICU. The median gestational age of NICU infants was 36 weeks, median birth weight was 2.2 kg and 49.5% were delivered by non-elective caesarean section. Lower gestational age, lower birth weight, delivery by caesarean section and birth in the month of May were statistically significant risk factors for NICU admission. Risk factors for NICU admission were consistent with other populations worldwide; however, median gestational age and birth weight were higher than in developed countries.
authors.affiliation: Undergraduate Medical Education, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Quinn
authors.affiliation: Undergraduate Medical Education, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sivasubramaniam
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America; Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blevins
authors.affiliation: Al-Basheer Government Hospital, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al Hajajra
authors.affiliation: Al-Basheer Government Hospital, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: A Taleb
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Znait
authors.affiliation: Al-Basheer Government Hospital, Amman, Jordan; Division of Infectious Disease, Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khuri-Bulos
authors.affiliation: Al-Basheer Government Hospital, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faouri
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America; Department of Paediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America; Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Halasa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D007597:Jordan; D010343:Patient Admission; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires