Background: Birth without medical assistance, or outs hospitals is defined as one that occurs without the optimal medical and health care conditions for mother and son pairing. Frequency of this phenomenon is not known in Mexico.
Objective: To observe clinical outcomes, morbidity, mortality, epidemiological and geographical patterns.
Material and method: A retrospective study including newborns of mothers who have had deliveries without medical assistance in accidental conditions, admitted to Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos Neonatales Externos, Hospital Civil de Guadalajara Fray Antonio Alcalde (Mexico). From January 2000 to December 2009.
Results: In 4,762 (100%) neonatal records evaluated, 582 (12%) were newborns birth for deliveries out of hospital. 314 (54%) female and 268 (46%) male, first mother's gravidity 195 (33%) and second o more gravidity 387 (68%) were registered. The Hospital stay average was 3-day. Discharge diagnoses: healthy 463 (79%), neonatal sepsis 16 (4%), respiratory distress 35 (6%), jaundice 33 (6%), pneumonia 12 (2%), metabolic disorders 13 (3%), other diagnoses 10 (2%). Place of births: 366 Guadalajara metropolitan area (63%), state of Jalisco, 180 (31%) other states of the Mexican Republic 36 (6%). Lambed at home 117 (20%), 52 bath home (9%), toilet bowl 29 (5%), car 128 (22%), road 58 (10%), hospital admission 104 (18%), Ambulance 42 (7%) Other 52 (9%).
Conclusion: In our study we observed that 79% of the newborns were healthy. They are the third leading cause of admission to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit External. The most common neonatal complications were solved without consequence. No neonatal mortality cases were founded.