Admission Profile and Disease Patterns of Neonates Admitted to a Tertiary Care NICU in Bangladesh: A Retrospective Study

Background: Neonatal mortality remains a substantial contributor to under-five deaths, particularly in low- and middle- income countries such as Bangladesh. A comprehensive understanding of the clinical burden, disease spectrum and outcomes of neonates requiring intensive care is essential to inform evidence-based practices and policy. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the admission profile, disease patterns and outcomes of neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Bangladesh Specialized Hospital Limited over a 6-year period. Methodology: This retrospective, descriptive study analyzed 1,917 neonates admitted to the NICU of Bangladesh Specialized Hospital Limited between February 2019 and January 2025. Clinical and demographic data including gestational age, sex, mode of delivery, birth weight and diagnosis were collected from hospital records. Descriptive statistics were applied to summarize patient characteristics and outcomes. Categorical variables were reported as frequencies and percentages, while continuous variables were presented as means with standard deviations or medians with interquartile ranges. Results: Most neonates were male (58.84%) and delivered by cesarean section (77.99%). Preterm birth or low birth weight accounted for 53.78% of admissions, followed by neonatal jaundice (41.73%), respiratory distress syndrome (38.91%) and sepsis (17.53%). The highest mortality was observed among extremely preterm infants. Overall, 87.12% of neonates were discharged alive with an in-NICU mortality rate of 5.16%. Conclusion: Preterm low birth weight are leading contributors to neonatal morbidity and mortality. Despite high survival, outcomes remain poor in extreme preterm. Strengthening perinatal care and targeted NICU interventions are essential to improve neonatal outcomes in low-resource settings.