Determinants of Neonatal Jaundice among Neonates Admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Dr. Jamal Ahmed Rashid Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Sulaymaniyah City/Iraq

Background: Neonatal jaundice is a common condition that affects between 60% and 80% of newborns. It has been associated with significant morbidity and death and is one of the most prevalent causes of hospitalization in a neonatal unit.Aim: To assess risk factors associated with neonatal jaundice among neonates admitted to the NICU at Dr. Jamal Ahmed Rashid Pediatric Teaching Hospital in Sulaimani City.Method: A quantitative design (descriptive study) case-control approach was used. Data were collected from the period 5th of January 2023 to 5th of April 2023 among neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Dr. Jamal Ahmed Rashid pediatric teaching hospital in Sulaymaniyah city, using a non-probability purposive sample technique to select (50) neonates diagnosed with jaundice as case group and (50) non-jaundiced as a control group in the same unit. The researcher collected the data by directly interviewing mothers; data were analyzed using the statistical package (21).Result: The majority of the neonates, 70%, were male, 62% were low birth weight, and 58% were between 2 and 7 days old, with mean ages of 3.06 2.24. Most of the mothers' ages ranged between 20 and 35 years. There was a significant association between previous child history of neonatal jaundice (p = 0.017) blood group (p = 0.037), neonatal sex (p=0.05), birth weight (p=0.000), and feeding option (p=0.049) with neonatal jaundice.Conclusion: Neonatal sex, birth weight, feeding options, previous child history of NJ, and blood group were associated risk factors with neonatal jaundice