Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Admissions among Preterm Babies in a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

Introduction: Preterm babies are born before 37 completed weeks of gestation. It is an important cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to find out the prevalence of neonatal intensive care unit admissions among preterm babies in a tertiary care centre. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study on a total of 133 preterm infants was conducted in a tertiary care centre from November, 2020 to April, 2021 with ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 380). Preterm babies who met the eligibility criteria were included in the study. Convenience sampling was done. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and percentage for binary data. Results: Out of 133 preterm babies, 54 (40.60%) (32.25-48.95 at 95% Confidence Interval) had neonatal intensive care unit admissions. Hyaline membrane disease was the most common illness in preterm neonates 34 (62.96%) followed by neonatal sepsis 20 (37.03%). Conclusions: The prevalence of neonatal intensive care unit admissions among preterm babies in our study was similar to other studies done in similar settings. Preterm newborns are significantly vulnerable and maternal risk factors should be taken into account. Anticipated preterm deliveries should have mandatory institutional delivery and adequate postnatal care is needed to improve the outcomes of preterm babies. Keywords: morbidity; mortality; neonatal intensive care unit; preterm infants.