Clinical Profile, Mortality, and Short-term Outcome in Asphyxiated Neonates Receiving Therapeutic Hypothermia in a Limited Resource Setting: A Cohort Study

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) among asphyxiated newborns for reducing mortality, adverse clinical events, and shortterm outcomes in comparison to asphyxiated newborns not receiving TH.Methods: This nonrandomized cohort study was conducted at a tertiary care center. The statistical population of the study consisted of asphyxiated newborns admitted in the neonatal intensive care unit within 24 h of life meeting the laboratory and/or clinical criteria of severe birth asphyxia. Eligible newborns, who received TH, were labeled as recipients and those who did not receive TH were labeled as nonrecipients.Results: Out of 176 studied neonates, 89 cases received TH, while 87 of the subjects did not receive TH. The recipients of TH had a 15.3% lower mortality rate, compared to nonrecipients (P 0.05). The incidence of adverse clinical events was similar among both groups. At the time of discharge, 73.2% and 56.8%, 92.6% and 70.1%, 30.4% and 46.2% of recipients and nonrecipients were neurologically normal (P=0.01), able to breastfeed (P 0.05), and required antiepileptics (P 0.05), respectively.Conclusion It can be concluded that TH was an effective and feasible therapy with decreased death rate, better neurological status at discharge, and lesser need for antiepileptics without increasing adverse clinical events at limitedresource settings using lowcost devices.