FEATURES OF PROVIDING MEDICAL AID TO THE NEWBORNS AT THE IVANO-FRANKIVSK REGIONAL PERINATAL CENTER

Abstract

The aim of the study –  to evaluate the work of the neonatal service at the Municipal Non-Profit Enterprise «Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Perinatal Center of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council» (MNPE «IF RPC IF RC») based on an analysis of key indicators over the past six years and to identify opportunities for improving the provision of medical care to newborns.

Materials and Methods. A retrospective analysis of the performance indicators of the neonatal intensive care unit of the MNPE «IF RPC IF RC» was conducted, such as birth rate, morbidity, and neonatal mortality for the period 2019–2024.

Results and Discussion. Analysis of the birth rate at the MNPE «IF RPC IF RC» showed a decrease of 26.9 % during the study period. This correlates with the nationwide trend of declining birth rates in Ukraine. The proportion of premature infants remains consistently high, fluctuating from 9.58 % to 12.05 %. This highlights the continuing high level of complexity of the cases treated by the center. In 2024, in the morbidity structure of full-term newborns, respiratory disorders (19.5 %), congenital malformations (14.7 %) and neurological status disorders (12.7 %) were predominant. In the group of premature infants, Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) was the leading cause throughout the entire period, reaching 41.9 % in 2023. The dominant cause of neonatal mortality remains profound morphological and functional immaturity, but there has been a positive trend in the reduction of deaths from congenital malformations, intraventricular hemorrhages, and hemorrhagic syndrome. A negative trend has been identified in the increase in mortality from sepsis, which in 2024 became the leading cause (56 %) of death among premature newborns. The mortality proportion among full-term infants also increased (31.3 % in 2024). The reconstruction and modernization of the material and technical base in 2020–2021 significantly improved the outcomes of nursing care by 65.8 %. Mortality in the most vulnerable weight category of up to 1,000 g decreased by more than half, from 63.6 % in 2019 to 26.7 % in 2023.

Conclusions. Over the past six years, there has been a decline in the birth rate, but the proportion of premature births has remained stable. Thanks to intensive care and innovations, the survival rates of premature infants have improved significantly, reducing neonatal mortality. The fight against sepsis and congenital malformations remains critical for further improvement of outcomes.