Neonatal presentations to the paediatric emergency department in Singapore

This study aimed to characterise neonatal paediatric emergency department (PED) visits, analyse the main paediatric illnesses and establish associations of these demographics with the readmission rates and severity of their presentation.

A retrospective analysis of neonates (aged <28 days) presenting to the PEDs of our hospital over seven months was performed. Associations between the clinical and demographic data of admissions to the PED and inpatient admissions were analysed.

In total, 1,200 neonates presented during the study period, 79.4% of whom presented at less than 15 days since birth. Length of stay in the PED was less than four hours for 94.0% of the neonates. Predominant triage categories comprised non-P1 cases (97.5%). The main diagnoses at the PED were neonatal jaundice (NNJ; 66.8%) and neonatal pyrexia (NNP; 14.6%), which corresponded to the main diagnoses upon discharge from the hospital: NNJ (68.4%) and NNP (19.6%). 48.2% of neonates were referred from polyclinics or other clinics. 57.7% of the neonates were admitted. Interestingly, 87.0% of the well babies who presented to the emergency department were brought in owing to parental concerns by the parents themselves, without prior consultation with the doctor.

Outpatient management of NNJ can be considered. Caregivers should be provided better education regarding normal physiological characteristics of newborns through standardised educational materials. Other potential avenues for parents to seek medical advice, for example hotlines and ChatBots such as the recently piloted 'Urgent Paediatric Advice Line' online service, should be considered.