Respiratory distress in full term outborn neonates : a hospital based study

Abstract EN

Background: Respiratory distress remains a major problem post adaptation and one of the most common reasons for admission of neonates to Intensive Care.

Objectives: To study the causes and short term outcomes of respiratory distress in full term neonates and its correlation to mode of delivery.

Patients and Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out on 100 full termoutborn neonates with , respiratory distress admitted to Neonatal care unit of Children Welfare Teaching Hospital, Medical City, Baghdad from 1 st of April to 31 st of August 2011.

Results: Hundred full term neonateswerestudied.

66% were boys and 81% born by cesarean section (elective cesarean sectionin 62%).

In both sexes, Transient TachypneaofNewbomand pneumothorax ranked the 1st and 2nd among other causes.

Among boys, early onset sepsis/pneumonia ranked 3rd, whereas late pneumonia and hyaline membrane disease among girls.Tlie proportion ofTransient TachypneaofNewborn was higher in those who were delivered by cesarean section(86.66%).There was no significant correlation between the mode of delivery and respiratory distress in congenital heartdisease, birth asphyxia, meconium aspiration andtracheoesophagel fistula.The case fatality was 100% in birth asphyxia, 16.66% in sepsis/ pneumonia, 9.09% in hyaline membrane disease and 5.88%in pneumothorax.

Conclusions:Transient tachypnea was the commonest cause of hospitalizations among term neonates with respiratory distress.

Elective cesarean sectionwas correlated with neonatal respiratory distress.