Assessment of the Recorded Causes of Neonatal Hospitalization and the Related Factors in Neonatal Wards and NICUs in Bojnord

Introduction: According to Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number 4, child mortality should be reduced by two thirds by 2015. The focus has been on decreasing neonatal deaths in high-mortality countries. In this study, we assessed the recorded causes of neonatal hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and infant care wards. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was carried out in two hospitals (Bentolhoda hospital and Emam Reza hospital) of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnord in 2011-2012. We assessed different variables such as maternal age at infant’s birth, gestational age, first and fifth minute Apgar scores, and hospitalization etiology. Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for the statistical analysis. Results: In this study, the most common cause of neonatal admission was icterus. Most of the infants' birth weight was higher than 2,500 gr. There was a relationship between Apgar score in the first and fifth minutes and causes of hospitalization (P<0.001). Infants' gender and maternal mode of delivery had no significant relationship with the cause hospitalization (P<0.06). However, birth weight and gestational age were significantly related to the causes of admission in hospitals (P<0.0001). Conclusion: Identifying the factors which influence the hospitalization of infants can help control these risk factors. It can also lead to the decrease of neonatal mortality, which is a reflection of nations’ socioeconomic status.