DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2020.v08i11.031

Pages: 2584-2588

Methods: This prospective observational study included the late preterm neonates (340/7 weeks - 366/7 weeks) born at Nazareth Hospital, Shillong, Meghalaya, India for a period of six months. Short term outcome was assessed in the form of morbidity during the study period and at follow up at 2 weeks and 6 weeks. The enrolled neonates were divided into three groups of 340/7 to 346/7, 350/7 to 356/7 and 360/7 to 366/7 weeks. Results: During the study period, 1025 neonates were born at a large tertiary care teaching hospital located at Shillong, Meghalaya, India, of which 72 were late preterm. In the present study the data was collected from 66 late preterm neonates (91.6 %) of which, 26 neonates (39.4 %) were born at 34th week of gestation (WG), 19 neonates (28.8 %) were born at 35th WG and 21 neonates (31.8%) were born at 36th WG. We observed that 22 out of 26 (84.6%) neonates of 34 WG, 17 out of 19 (89.4%) of neonates of 35 WG and only 11 out of 21 (52.3%) required NICU admission because of various associated morbidities. In our study 15.1% late preterm neonates developed hypothermia. We observed that 36.3% neonates developed hypoglycemia. A total of 18 (27.3%) late preterm neonates developed perinatal asphyxia. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) was present in 27 out of 66 neonates (40.9%). Feed intolerance developed in 6 out of 66 (9.09%) late preterm neonates. Jaundice developed in 31 out of 66 (46.9%) late preterm neonates. Probable sepsis developed in 17 out of 66 neonates (25.7 %). Sepsis was confirmed in 4 out of 66 (6 %) late preterm neonates. Conclusions: Late preterm infants suffer a large number of inter-current medical problems during the neonatal period, especially increased likelihood of resuscitation in the delivery room, hypothermia, hypoglycemia, jaundice requiring phototherapy, respiratory pathologies, sepsis and feeding intolerance.