Clinico-epidemiological profile and outcomes of respiratory distress in newborns prospective observational study in a tertiary care

Background: Respiratory distress in neonates is common and can be a serious neonatal emergency. Globally prevalence of respiratory distress in newborns ranges from 0.64 to 88.4%. There are many risk factors predisposing neonates to respiratory distress. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) has high incidence in preterm neonates, while in late preterm and term neonates’ transient tachypnea of newborn (TTN) is common. In-hospital mortality due to respiratory distress varies between 0.21 to 57.3% world-wide. Methods: Prospective observational study was conducted in neonatal section, JNMCH, AMU, Aligarh, U. P., India over a period of 2 years which included 200 neonates with respiratory distress out of 2806 neonates born on enrolment days. Various causes of respiratory distress, risk factors, immediate outcomes and prevalence of respiratory distress was observed and analysed. Results: Prevalence of respiratory distress in newborns was 7.12% on enrollment days in our study with RDS as the leading cause of neonatal respiratory distress (n=71; 35.5%). Approximately 60% of study recruits were males (n=123) in which RDS (n=43) was commonest cause of respiratory distress. Out of 200 enrolled candidates in our study 167 (83.5%) were discharged and 33 (16.50%) expired with RDS (70%) being the major cause of mortality. Conclusions: Neonatal respiratory distress is one of the common causes of NICU (Neonatal intensive care unit) admission. RDS was the most common cause of respiratory distress with maximum mortality in study recruits. Various fetal and maternal factors predisposed to neonatal respiratory distress and also influenced their immediate clinical outcomes.