Resumen

CATALAN M, Jorge; NAZER H, Julio  y  CIFUENTES O, Lucía. Importance of Congenital Diseases in a Neonatal Special Care Unit. Rev. chil. pediatr. [online]. 2005, vol.76, n.6, pp. 567-572. ISSN 0370-4106.  doi: 10.4067/S0370-41062005000600003.

Introduction: Congenital malformations (CM) are the second cause of death in infants under one year-age, becoming a Public Health problem. Objective: to evaluate the effects of these pathologies in the Special Neonatal Care Unit (UCEN) at the Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile. Method: All babies with congenital malformations and birth weight over 500 g, born between 2000 and 2003 were studied. Data was obtained from ECLAMC (Latin American Congenital Malformations Colaborative Study) and from our Neonatal Unit data base. Results: 7858 births were registered. 60 cases were still-birth (0,76%) and 16 (26,6%) had congenital malformations. We found 639 live-birth babies with birth defects (8,2%), 139 had severe defects, 13 babies died short after born and 126 (19,8%) needed hospitalization and 49 (38,9%) needed surgery. We observed a death rate of 65,4% in newborn with CM and 34,6% for other causes. The death rate from CM was 4,6 per 1000 live-birth. Conclusions: Infants with congenital malformations have twice the death rate than infants hospitalized from other causes, with a prolonged period of hospitalization

Palabras clave : congenital malformations; hospitalization; newborn.