Neonatal Intestinal Obstruction: A 15 Year Experience in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Neonatal intestinal obstruction is the most common surgical emergency in a newborn requiring prompt intervention. There are only very few studies done in world regarding pattern of neonatal intestinal obstruction.

This study was conducted to see the aetiological spectrum of neonatal intestinal obstruction and to find out the problems and outcome of surgical management.

This study was done retrospectively to include all operated cases of neonatal intestinal obstruction from June 2000 to May 2015 and various factors affecting outcome were analysed.

A total of 298 newborns were included in the study. Male-female ratio was 1.8:1. Gestational age was variable from 32 to 42 weeks (mean = 37.5 weeks) and birth weight from 1.4 to 3.5kg (mean= 2.25 kg). Mean age of presentation was 6 days with intestinal atresia (49.6%) as the commonest cause. Other causes were Hirschsprung (13%), Malrotation gut (11.7%), Meconium ileus (7.3%), patent VID (5%), duodenal obstruction (4%), duplication cyst (3.7%), obstructed hernia (2.7%) and others (2.7%). Mortality rate was 16.4% with sepsis both pre as well as post operative as the main cause of mortality.

The morbidity and mortality of neonatal intestinal obstruction has improved over last few years mainly due to antenatal detection, early intervention, meticulous resuscitation before surgery along with good NICU care.