Objectives. We examined association between incidence rate of low birth weight in liveborn infants and maternal sociodemographic status in Tuzla Canton during 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods. The present study covers a 22-year period (1988–2009), including the war period (1992–1995), and we retrospectively collected data on a total of 108 316 liveborn infants and their mothers from three different socioeconomic periods: before (1988–1991), during (1992–1995), and after the war (1996–2009). Association between incidence rate of low birth weight in liveborn infants and maternal sociodemographic status were determined for each study period. Results. There were 23 194 live births in the prewar, 18 302 during the war, and 66 820 in the postwar period. Among the liveborn infants born during the war, 1373 (7.5%) had birth weight of <2500 g, which is significantly more in comparison with 851 (3.6%) liveborn infants in this birth weight group born before and 1864 (2.8%) after the war. We found the number of examinations during pregnancy was 1.8 per pregnant woman in the war period, which was low in comparison with the number of examinations before (4.6 per pregnant woman) and after (7.1 per pregnant woman) the war (P<.001 for both). Prewar perinatal mortality LBW infants of 6.2 per 1000 live births increased to 10.8 per 1000 live births during the war (P<.001), but after the war, perinatal mortality LBW infants (5.2‰) and early neonatal mortality (2.4‰) decreased. Conclusions. We found statistically significant association between low-birth-weight and maternal sociodemographic status in Tuzla Canton during 1992–1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Early diagnosis and treatment of the neonate with suspected infection are essential to prevent severe and life-threatening complications. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the validity of the hematologic scoring system in diagnosing earlyonset neonatal infection (EONI), according to Rodwell et al. We included 341 term singletons of both genders, gestational age of 37th to 42nd week, with risk factors for EONI and without visible anomalies. A diagnosis of EONI was based on clinical, laboratory and/or microbiological findings of EONI, without consideration of hematologic findings. Hematologic findings (white blood with differential count, and platelets count) were scored according to Rodwell et al. The cut-off score was 3. During the study period, there were 12 298 live births, 11 599 terms and 699 prematures. In the first 72 hours of life, 199/341 (58.4%) neonates were considered to have EONI, of which 52/199 (26.1%) neonates with proven and 73.9% probable EONI. The applied hematologic scoring systems in EONI had high specificity (92%) and positive predictive value (PPV) (88%), as same as in probable EONI with specificity of 92% and PPV of 84%. In proven EONI both specificity (92%) and negative predictive value PPV (82%) were high. The validity of the hematologic scoring system in diagnosing EONI among neonates with risk factors is acceptable. The use of the test is available even in the smallest delivery rooms, and the price is reasonable, not only for single but for repeated use.