Epidemiology of Early Neonatal Mortality in an Eastern Ethiopian NICU: Insights From Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital

Abstract

Background. Early neonatal mortality remains a significant public health challenge in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study is designed to investigate the magnitude and underlying factors associated with early neonatal mortality among infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Hiwot Fana Specialized University Hospital in Eastern Ethiopia. Methods. an institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 20 to December 20, 2021, by reviewing the medical records of 432 neonates admitted from September 11, 2018, to September 10, 2021. Data were cleaned, entered into Epi Data 3.1, and analyzed using Stata 15. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed with statistical significance set at a P-value