How Do Low Birth Weight Neonates Fare Two Years After Discharge from a Low-Technology Neonatal Care Unit in a Rural District Hospital in Burundi?

Abstract

As neonatal care is being scaled up in economically poor settings, there is a need to know more on post-hospital discharge and longer-term outcomes. Of particular interest are mortality, prevalence of developmental impairments and malnutrition, all known to be worse in low-birth-weight neonates (LBW, <2500 grams). Getting a better handle on these parameters might justify and guide support interventions. Two years after hospital discharge, we thus assessed: mortality, developmental impairments, and nutritional status of LBW children.