Neonatal Risk Factors Associated with Respiratory Distress among Newborns in Sulaymaniyah City, Iraq

Abstract

Background: Respiratory distress is a leading cause of NICU admissions and can lead to severe complications if not promptly identified and managed. Despite its prevalence, limited research has examined the specific neonatal risk factors contributing to respiratory distress in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, creating a knowledge gap in neonatal healthcare.

Aim: This study aims to identify the neonatal risk factors associated with respiratory distress among newborns admitted to NICUs in Sulaymaniyah City,Iraq.

Methodology: A descriptive-analytical study was conducted at two hospitals using a purposive sampling technique to recruit 218 neonates with respiratory distress. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and hospital records, with statistical analysis performed using SPSS 24 to determine associations between neonatal characteristics and respiratory distress causes.

Results: Among the study population, 57.8% were male, and prematurity was identified in 68.8% of cases. RDS was the leading cause (64.2%), followed by TTN (27.5%) and MAS (8.3%). Significant associations were found between respiratory distress and gender, birth weight, gestational age, APGAR scores, and plurality (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Respiratory distress accounts for a substantial proportion of total admissions to the NICU, with significant contributions from RDS, TTN, and MAS. Prematurity (68.8%) and SGA (65.7%) were found to be significantly associated with RDS (p < 0.001).