LOW BIRTH WEIGHT BABIES;

Frequently encountered problems at secondary level care

Abstract

Objective: To determine the spectrum of problems in LBW neonates at Secondary care level and their immediate outcome.
Design: Descriptive Study. Place & Duration of Study: Agha Khan Hospital for Women and Children, Kareemabad and Agha Khan
Hospital for Women and Children , Kharadar, from January 2009 till December 2009. Results & Conclusions: Of the 4500 babies born in
Agha Khan secondary hospitals, 429 were Low Birth Weight and 191 were admitted to the nursery. The ratio of males to females was
0.86:1.0 (199 males and 230 females). Approximately 41% of the babies were less than 2 kgs and Preterm babies made up 20.9 % of
total low birth weight. Of the 191 babies, 99 (51.8%) had hyperbilirubinemia ; 16(8.3%) had respiratory distress syndrome of the
newborn; 16(8.3%) had vomiting and they were observed for necrotizing enterocolitis; 21(10.9%) had presumed sepsis; 12 (6.2%) had
hypocalcemia; 11(5.7%) had hypoglycemia 08 (4.1%) had Meconium Aspiration Syndrome;; 05 (2.4%) had thrombocytopenia; and 02
(1.04%) had hyperviscosity with hematocrit of more than 65%. Common causes of morbidity in LBW babies are jaundice, sepsis,
Respiratory distress, hypoglycemia and hypothermia. Introduction of standard management guidelines aid in reduction of morbidity. With
careful selection of cases and predetermined criteria for transfer to the tertiary level nursery, it is possible to care for a vast majority of the
newborns in nurseries at secondary level .