Lamidi Isah AUDU
Kaduna State University, Nigeria
Title: Risk factors for neonatal mortality in a tertiary health institution in North Central Nigeria
Biography
Biography: Lamidi Isah AUDU
Abstract
Background: Neonatal mortality rate in Nigeria (37/1000) is reportedly among the top 10 highest in the world. Over the last decade, neonatal sepsis, perinatal asphyxia and prematurity have consistently been mentioned as the leading causes of neonatal deaths in the country. Interventions targeted at these neonatal morbidities have been implemented in the country with only modest impact on neonatal mortality. Aims: To determine the risk factors for mortality among hospitalized neonates and the case fatality rates for the causes of neonatal deaths at the National Hospital Abuja. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data on all neonates admitted in NICU at the National Hospital Abuja (NHA) over a period of 13 months (January 2017 to February 2018). Relevant demographic and clinical data were extracted from the neonatal registry database (REDCap) and analyzed to determine morbidities and mortality rate among hospitalized patients as well as case fatality rates for identified morbidities. Results: A total of 730 neonates were admitted, out of whom 391 (53.6%) were females, 396 (54.5%) were inborn and 396 (54.2%) were term. The most prevalent morbidities were respiratory distress syndrome (35.9%), neonatal jaundice (28.1%), perinatal asphyxia (12.3%), congenital malformations (11.2%) and sepsis (8.8%). Overall Mortality Rate (MR) was 12.9% while MR among term and preterm babies were 7.5% and 20.3%, respectively. The most important causes of mortality were prematurity (41.6%), congenital malformations (23.9%) and perinatal asphyxia (23%). However, congenital malformations had the highest case fatality (32%) followed by PA (28.6%), prematurity (20.7%) and sepsis (18.5%). Conclusion: Gestational age, birth weight and place of delivery were significantly associated with neonatal mortality, while prematurity was the most important cause of mortality among inborn babies, perinatal asphyxia and congenital malformations accounted for most cases of mortality among out born babies. This fact in addition to the individual case fatality rates have important implications for targeted interventions.