Table 1.
Patient characteristics
| Characteristic | Overall population (n = 810) |
Dehydration (n = 153) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present n(%) | Missing n(%) | Present n(%) | Missing n(%) | |
| Demographics | ||||
| Female sex | 397/799 (49.7) | 11 (1.4) | 79/150 (52.7) | 3 (2.0) |
| Age <1 day | 69/791 (8.7) | 19 (2.3) | 4/151 (2.6) | 2 (1.3) |
| Birth weight <2.5 kg | 116/729 (15.9) | 81 (10.0) | 16/143 (11.2) | 10 (6.5) |
| Gestation <35 weeks | 62/439 (14.1) | 371 (45.8) | 2/79 (2.5) | 74 (48.4) |
| Birth history | ||||
| Caesarean delivery | 185/769 (24.1) | 41 (5.1) | 33/144 (22.9) | 9 (5.9) |
| Home delivery | 59/179 (33.0) | 8/35 (22.9) | 118 (77.1) | |
| Other hospital delivery | 120/471 (25.5) | 27/90 (30.0) | 63 (41.2) | |
| Hospital readmission | 10/689 (1.5) | 121 (14.9) | 3/134 (2.2) | 19 (12.4) |
| Referred to hospital | 128/678 (18.9) | 132 (16.3) | 21/137 (15.3) | 16 (10.5) |
| Birth complication | ||||
| Apgar score ≤3 at 5 min | 4/307 (1.3) | 503 (62.1) | 0/52 (0.0) | 101 (66.0) |
| Premature rupture of membranes | 111/343 (32.4) | 467 (57.7) | 24/72 (33.3) | 81 (52.9) |
| Predisposing | ||||
| Abnormalities affecting breastfeeding | 17/26 (65.4) | 784 (96.8) | 5/8 (62.5) | 145 (94.8) |
| Can suck/breastfeed | 436/751 (58.1) | 59 (7.3) | 63/143 (44.1) | 10 (6.5) |
| Clinical features | ||||
| Diarrhoea | 32/788 (4.1) | 22 (2.7) | 8/150 (5.3) | 3 (2.0) |
| Bloody diarrhoea | 1/32 (3.1) | 0/8 (0.0) | 145 (94.8) | |
| Dry nappies | 16/539 (3.0) | 271 (33.5) | 7/99 (7.1) | 54 (35.3) |
| Delayed skin pinch | 36/464 (7.8) | 346 (42.7) | 25/91 (27.5) | 62 (40.5) |
| Delayed capillary refill time | 19/692 (2.7) | 118 (14.6) | 10/131 (7.6) | 22 (14.4) |
| Sunken anterior fontanelle | 0/581 (0.0) | 229 (28.3) | 0/110 (0.0) | 43 (28.1) |
| Temperature gradient | 25/551 (4.5) | 259 (32.0) | 5/101 (5.0) | 52 (34.0) |
| Weak pulse | 38/641 (5.9) | 169 (20.9) | 12/127 (9.4) | 26 (17.0) |
| Management | ||||
| Breastfeeding taught | 200/433 (46.2) | 377 (46.5) | 34/81 (42.0) | 72 (47.1) |
| Common primary diagnoses | ||||
| Neonatal sepsis | 411/805 (51.1) | 85/153 (55.6) | ||
| Jaundice | 124/805 (15.4) | 16/153 (10.5) | ||
| Birth asphyxia | 43/805 (5.3) | 3/153 (2.0) | ||
| Pneumonia | 42/805 (5.2) | 4/153 (2.6) | ||
| Dehydration | 38/805 (4.7) | 38/153 (24.8) | ||
| Prematurity | 37/805 (4.6) | 2/153 (1.3) | ||
| Respiratory distress syndrome | 27/805 (3.4) | 1/153 (0.7) | ||
| Outcome | ||||
| Died | 43/674 (6.4) | 136 (16.8) | 9 (6.8) | 21 (13.7) |
Table describes characteristics of all neonates surveyed and those fulfilling criteria for dehydration.