Prevalence of neonatal jaundice at a tertiary health institution in Ondo state, Nigeria (original) (raw)

Introduction. This study assesses the occurrence of neonatal jaundice among neonates admitted between January 2007-December 2016 in a tertiary health institution in Ondo State, Nigeria. Materials and method. A descriptive retrospective research design was used for the study conducted in the Neonatal Ward of a tertiary health institution in Ondo State. Data were collected using a self-structurd checklist. Ethical clearance was obtained from the hospital Ethical Committee. Data was analyzed using SPSS; both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. Results. Results showed that a total of 715 neonates were admitted in the hospital during the period, 88 (34.2%) were admitted on their first day of birth. There were more male neonates admitted for jaundice than female 146 (56.8%). The highest incidence of neonatal jaundice in the hospital during the years under review occurred in 2008 (32 neonates); while the least was recorded in 2016-9 neonates. A total of 257 neonates were admitted for neonatal jaundice over the 10 year period under review. The serum bilirubin level reduced from 13.76±8.04 on admission to 3.43±2.34 at discharge. Only 61 (23.7%) of the neonates had exchange blood transfusion performed. Also, 36 (14.0%) neonates developed complications of neonatal jaundice, of which 25 (69.4%) died from these complications. Conclusions. A concerted effort should be made to create awareness about neonatal jaundice among women of reproductive age, and emphasis should be placed on the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of NNJ.