Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Morbidity And Outcome Of Low Birthweight Babies Of Adolescent Mothers At Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, A. Wasunna, K. Mohammed

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Objective: To compare the morbidity and outcome of low birthweight babies (birthweight < 2000gm) of adolescent (age < 20 years) and older mothers.

Design: Cross sectional descriptive study.

Setting: The newborn Unit of the Kenyatta National Hospital. Main outcome measures: All babies weighing less than 2000gm at birth whose mothers consented to the study had their gestational age verified using the Dubowitz scoring system. They were then followed up by daily clinical assessment untill discharge, death or up to one month in the ward. The babies were divided into two groups according to their mother's age and then compared with respect to episodes of illness, duration of hospital stay, and overall …