Prognosis of Newborns in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: An Integrative Review

Objective: The study's purpose has been to identify the scientific knowledge about the prognosis of newborns in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Methods: This is an integrative review that explored 11 articles from the following databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS, Science Direct, and SCOPUS. Results: Studies on the factors associated with the prognosis of newborns in NICUs and the interventions that influenced this prognosis were identified. The main clinical factors associated with the prognosis were low birth weight, prematurity, and asphyxia. These factors also influenced the mortality among newborns, which was the main prognosis evaluated by most of the studies. Conclusions: Low weight and prematurity were identified as the main factors leading to NICU admission. Weight gain was understood as means for improving the prognosis. Furthermore, prematurity and low weight associated with other pathologies worsened the prognosis, leading to the death of newborns.