Epidemiologic factors associated with neonatal bowel perforations in Uganda: experience from a single tertiary referral hospital

Abstract

Background: Neonatal bowel perforations pose a significant disease burden for pediatric surgeons around the world. However, very little is known about these perforations in low-income settings. This study aims to investigate the epidemiology of neonatal perforations at a tertiary hospital in Uganda. Results: Twenty neonates with bowel perforation who were admitted to a single national referral hospital from May 2020 to April 2021 were included. Fifty-five percent (n = 11) of the neonates in this cohort were male, and 16 were term with birth weight above 2.5 kg. Thirteen were below 1 week of age and all maternal ages were less than 40 years. Pneumoperitoneum was the most common finding on erect abdominal X-ray and colon was the frequent site of perforation. Forty percent of the babies in this cohort had blood group O+. Fifty-five percent of our patients died before discharge. Conclusion: Outcomes for neonatal bowel perforations are still dismal. Health workers taking care of neonates should have a high index of suspicion for neonatal gastrointestinal perforations.