Correlation of preeclampsia degree with NICU admission rate in neonates at Bhayangkara Hasta Brata Batu Hospital

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication that may affect maternal and neonatal conditions. Impaired placental perfusion caused by preeclampsia increases the risk of prematurity, low birth weight, respiratory disorders, and the need for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission. This study aimed to determine the correlation between preeclampsia degree and NICU admission rate in neonates at Bhayangkara Hasta Brata Batu Hospital. This retrospective observational analytic study included 32 mothers with preeclampsia and their neonates selected using total sampling. Data were collected from medical records and analyzed using Somers’ d. Sixteen neonates (50%) received NICU care and 16 (50%) did not. NICU admission increased across preeclampsia severity: 0% in mild, 54.5% in moderate, and 90.9% in severe preeclampsia. Somers’ d showed a significant positive correlation (p < 0.001; d = 0.598). Clinically, these findings indicate that severe preeclampsia identifies a group with a substantially higher likelihood of neonatal intensive care needs, supporting early neonatal risk assessment and readiness of NICU resources. However, the findings should be interpreted as an association rather than a validated prediction model because other determinants of NICU admission were not simultaneously modeled.