Survey of characteristics of neonatal death in neonatal intensive care unit of Boo-Ali Sina educational & therapeutic

Background and The neonatal mortality rate is an important index for evaluation of public health. It involves the death of infants under 28 days. Obviously, recognizing the characteristics of neonatal mortality in this center, may be useful for promoting the procedures in the NICU, as well as planning to impede the severe complications or death. This is a descriptive study performed by analyzing the available data from the medical records of NICU patients at Boo-Ali Sina Educational & Therapeutic Center during 2003 and 2006. The number of deaths, names, and medical records number of the dead infants were collected. Among 1238 patients in the NICU, 363 deaths were reported. According to medical records, 222 deaths occurred in neonates aged 0 to 27 days. Data were collected using a checklist, the validity and reliability of which were approved by clinicians. The Descriptive methods were used in analyzing the data. The findings include: 140 subjects were male (63.1%); 72 from single birth (77.5%); the age-group of mothers of 38 cases (37.7%) was 20-24 y; 132 cases (59.5%) resided in villages; 129 cases (58.1%) with prenatal care; 120 cased of Caesarian section (54%); 155 cases (76%) with birth weight lower than 2500 grams and 154 preterm (75.5%). Mortality during neonatal period was divided in two groups: early death (0-6 days) 142 cases (62%) and late death (7-27 days) 80 cases (36%). Correct and exact completion of NICU forms would help undertaking descriptive and analytic epidemiologic studies.