Outcome of Small for Gestational Age Babies Admitted At BPKIHS

Small for gestational age (SGA) has been defined as birth weight less than the 10th percentile for gestational age since the studies of Lubchenco and Battaglia in the 1960s, which characterized size for gestational age and the risk associated with smaller size at each gestational age. Small for gestational age has been defined by WHO as being below the 10% percentile of the recommended gender-specific birth weight for gestational age reference curves. This Hospital based Cross Sectional Study was done in Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine – Division of Neonatology (NICU/Nursery/Neonatal ward/Pediatric Ward), BPKIHS, Dharan, Nepal. For a period of One year, small for gestational age neonates admitted at BPKIHS in one year duration. Sample size for the study was N=264, study concluded that the greater proportion of SGA babies is contributed by term and male babies. Approx. 66.3% of the included neonates were male and 33.7% were female, among them 54.9% were term SGA and 45.1% were preterm SGA. Mean observed length, weight and head circumference were 40.9cm, 1.6kg and 29.9cm respectively. On comparison between term and preterm SGA neonates’ significant difference was found with preterm SGA having lower values. The common problems observed in the SGA newborn were sepsis (51.1%), hyperbilirubinemia (30.3%), perinatal asphyxia (30.3%), shock (25.4%), hypoglycaemia (12.9%) and hypothermia (8.3%). Less common morbidities were Apnoea (2.3%), NEC (3.8%) and polycythaemia (6.4%). On logistic regression hypothermia was observed as only independent co-morbidity factor. Among the 135 SGA neonates with Sepsis 44 of them had LP proven meningitis, 37 had blood culture positive sepsis and 54 had culture sterile sepsis. We were able to discharge 87.9% of SGA babies and 12.1% had adverse outcome. On applying chi-square test no significant difference in the outcome of term and preterm SGA neonates was observed.