FREQUENCY OF NEUROLOGIC DISEASES IN A NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT IN LIMA, PERU

Objectives: To determine the frequency of neurologic disease in a peruvian neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)

Methods: Retrospective, descriptive, observational study. Setting: Cayetano Heredia National Hospital NICU, in Lima, Peru. Patients: all neonates who stayed at the NICU from January to December 2004.

Results: Forty five percent of the neonates (106/232) hospitalized at the NICU had a neurologic disorder. 28.3% had more than one disorder. A larger percentage of term newborns were affected, when compared with prematures. In term newborns, hipoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (25.8%), seizures (19.3%) and nervous system malformations (12.9%) were the most common disorders. In the preterm population, the most frequent diseases were intraventricular hemorrhage (17.2%), hipoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (10.7%), and infections (6.5%). Thirteen percent of preterm babies died without a certain diagnosis.

Conclusion: We found a very high proportion of newborns with neurological diseases. This is a worrying situation, considering that there is an important subregistration of disease because of lack of resources. Of more importance is the consideration of the burden of disability of this population in the near future.