Survival and causes of death in infants admitted in NICU in Tehran (a retrospective cohort study 2016-2022)

Abstract

Neonatal mortality remains a global public concern. The aims of the study were the evaluation of survival in all admitted infants in the NICU, as well as predictors of neonatal mortality from 2016 to 2022. A retrospective cohort study was conducted among 7255 neonates admitted to the NICU in Valiasr Hospital (in the capital of Iran). Mortality proportion in preterm neonates was 9.1%, and 6.6% in all neonates. In most morbidites, the reduction of mortality was significant from 2016 to 2022.The most notable of them were respiratory disorders, prematurity, and sepsis. In the adjusted Cox regression, gestational age, birth weight, one and fifth-minute APGAR scores, congenital defects(HR = 2.02), sepsis (HR = 1.63), and respiratory disorders (HR = 1.40) were as predictor variables of death. Although the probability of survival seems to be increasing over the past years in Iran, it is far away from the target for 2030. The most common causes of neonatal mortality were congenital defects, sepsis, and respiratory disorders.