Time to recovery from necrotizing enterocolitis and its predictors among neonates admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia: A retrospective follow up study, 2022

Necrotizing enterocolitis is one of the most common, life-threatening, gastrointestinal disorders in neonates. The recovery time for neonates with NEC varies depending on disease severity, prompt diagnosis, and effective treatment. Therefore, this study was intended to assess the time to recover from necrotizing enterocolitis and its' predictors among neonates admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. An institution-based retrospective follow-up study design was employed. A sample of 361 medical records of neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis was selected using systematic random sampling. Diagnosis of NEC in this study required clinical, laboratory and radiographic findings. The survival function was described using Kaplan Meier survival curve and log-rank test. Bivariate and multivariate Cox-proportional hazard (Cox-PH) regression models were used for analysis. The median recovery time from necrotizing enterocolitis for neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit was 12 days. The multivariable Cox-PH model showed that neonates classified as Stage III NEC (AHR: 0.42, 95% CI = 0.23-0.77) and those exposed to perinatal asphyxia (AHR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.35-0.74) had a negative impact on NEC recovery time. However, neonates with a birth weight of 1500-2499gm (AHR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.05-2.58) and a platelet count greater than 150,000 (AHR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.24-2.48) had a positive effect on NEC recovery time. The recovery time for neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit with necrotizing enterocolitis was longer. Comorbidities and advanced stage of NEC were associated with prolonged recovery time from NEC. However, neonates with better platelet count and birth weight greater than 1500mg had shorter recovery time from NEC.