Social deprivation and admission for neonatal care
- 1Neonatal Unit, Wirral Hospital, Arrowe Park, Wirral, Merseyside CH49 5PE, UK
- 2Department of Primary Care, Whelan Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GB, UK
- Correspondence to:
Dr Manning
Neonatal Unit, Wirral Hospital, Arrowe Park, Wirral, Merseyside CH49 5PE, UK; donal.manningwhnt.nhs.uk
- Accepted 3 February 2005
Abstract
Objective: To determine whether social deprivation is associated with neonatal unit admission.
Setting: English district general hospital.
Method: Retrospective review of neonatal unit admission records between 1990 and 2002.
Results: There was a linear increase in admission rates with increasing deprivation. The admission rate was 6.1% of live births for infants in the most affluent quartile compared with 11.1% for those in the most deprived quartile. Admission rates for all indications except jaundice and feeding problems increased with increasing deprivation.
Conclusion: Social deprivation correlates strongly with neonatal morbidity and the need for neonatal unit admission. This finding has implications for professionals in public health and primary and secondary care.
Footnotes
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Competing interests: none declared
