Evaluation of Neonatal Mortality in the Reference Center over a Five-Year Period

Objective: Nowadays, the neonatal mortality rate which is a national health problem can be reduced, especially in premature infants, thanks to improved patient care and appropriate treatments. The aim of this study was to determine the mortality rate and causes of mortality in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during the last five years. Method: Newborns lost between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018 in the NICU of İzmir Tepecik Training and Research Hospital were included in the study. Demographic data, duration of hospital stay, prenatal risk factors, mode of delivery, presence of congenital anomaly, causes of mortality and mortality rate were determined. Results: The records of 4155 infants hospitalized between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2018 were investigated and a total of 382 neonates who were lost during their stay in the NICU were included in the study. With these results, the five-year mortality rate in our neonatal intensive care unit was calculated as 9.1%. The average duration of hospitalization was 24.5 days (1-384). While prematurity / RDS was the most common cause of neonatal death, the other most common causes were sepsis/multiorgan failure, genetic causes and congenital heart diseases. Conclusion: Although the neonatal mortality rate is reduced with the improvement of perinatal-antenatal care besides technological improvements, health policy regulations are needed to decrease the neonatal mortality rate due to the increasing number of infants requiring major surgery.