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. 2024 Apr 22;70(3):e20231186.
doi: 10.1590/1806-9282.20231186. eCollection 2024.

Analysis of Down syndrome newborn outcomes in three neonatal intensive care units in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Hanna Gabriela da Cruz Alfaro  1 , Saint Clair Gomes Junior  1 , Renato Augusto Moreira de Sá  1   2 , Edward Araujo Júnior  3   4
Affiliations

Analysis of Down syndrome newborn outcomes in three neonatal intensive care units in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Hanna Gabriela da Cruz Alfaro et al. Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). .

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of newborns with Down syndrome admitted to three neonatal intensive care units in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted by analyzing the medical records between 2014 and 2018 of newborns with Down syndrome admitted to three neonatal intensive care units. The following variables were analyzed: maternal and perinatal data, neonatal malformations, neonatal intensive care unit intercurrences, and outcomes.

Results: A total of 119 newborns with Down syndrome were recruited, and 112 were selected for analysis. The most common maternal age group was >35 years (72.07%), the most common type of delivery was cesarean section (83.93%), and the majority of cases were male (53.57%). The most common reasons for neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization were congenital heart disease (57.66%) and prematurity (23.21%). The most common form of feeding was a combination of human milk and formula (83.93%). The second most common malformation was duodenal atresia (9.82%). The most common complications during neonatal intensive care unit hospitalization were transient tachypnea of the newborn (63.39%), hypoglycemia (18.75%), pulmonary hypertension (7.14%), and sepsis (7.14%). The mean length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit was 27 days. The most common outcome was discharge (82.14%). Furthermore, 12.50% of newborns were transferred to an external neonatal intensive care unit, and 6% died.

Conclusion: Newborns with Down syndrome are more likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, and the length of hospital stay is longer due to complications related to congenital malformations common to this syndrome and prematurity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: the authors declare there is no conflicts of interest.

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