Clinical characteristics and neonatal outcomes of liveborn newborns with hydrops fetalis treated in a tertiary level neonatal intensive care unit

Background This study was performed for examining the neonatal results and aetiological factors of neonates with hydrops fetalis (HF) and determining the factors affecting mortality. Methods The medical records of liveborn neonates with HF who were admitted to a tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Konya, Turkey, between 2013 and 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. The demographic data, prenatal intervention, clinical findings, and results of the patients were recorded. Results A total of 32.6% of the 46 liveborn HF infants had immune HF (IHF), while 67.4% had nonimmune HF (NIHF); there was prenatal diagnoses in 39 (84.7%) cases. Cordocentesis and blood transfusion (n = 14; 30.4%) were the prenatal diagnosis and treatment interventions with the highest rate. A total of 16 patients (34.7%) received in utero interventional treatment. It was determined that the mean gestational age was not associated with mortality; moreover, birthweight (BW), Apgar score and the need for mechanical ventilation affected mortality. Conclusion The prognosis changes according to different etiologies of HF. However, despite the developments in neonatal care, mortality is still high in HF infants.