Social deprivation and admission for neonatal care.

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.