The Epidemiology of Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Neonates in Fiji: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction The commonest cause of death in preterm neonates worldwide is respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). In Fiji, prematurity and RDS have been identified as important causes of neonatal mortality and surfactant was added to supportive care in 2015. This retrospective cohort study describes the RDS epidemiology in Fiji’s major neonatal centre prior to surfactant introduction. Methods RDS-related intensive care admissions in 2013 and 2014 were reviewed and clinical information was extracted from medical records. Subsequent readmissions of RDS cases were also retrieved. Results The rate of RDS was 6.7 (95% confidence interval 5.5 – 8.0) per 1,000 live births. There were 36 RDS deat..