Magnitude of Preterm Admissions in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Rural Medical College Hospital

Introduction: Of late, the incidence of preterm births is increasing worldwide, and Asia and Africa are the major contributors of global preterm burden. Preterm babies have increased the risk of morbidity and mortality which is inversely related to both gestational age and birth weight. In spite of the advancements in therapeutics and improvements in the infrastructure and manpower, if preterm births are increasing, goal of reducing infant mortality rate (IMR) will be more difficult. Objectives: To determine the magnitude of preterm admissions in a special care baby unit of a rural medical college hospital. Materials and Methods: All preterm admissions admitted from January 2015 to December 2015 were retrospectively studied. Results: Preterm babies contribute 31.06% of the total admissions, 10.18% of the total admissions were preterm babies <34 weeks of gestational age, and 20.88% of total admissions were preterm babies of gestational age between 34 and 37 weeks. Conclusions: Preterm babies contribute a significant percentage of the total newborn admissions in a tertiary care center of a rural medical college hospital. Without improving the preterm care reduction of neonatal mortality rate and thereby IMR will be a dream unaccomplished.