Risk Factors of Neonatal Death in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Sheik Hassan Yabare Referral Hospital, East Ethiopia, 2019: Unmatched Case Control Study

Abstract

Child and neonatal mortality are a grave problem in Ethiopia. The first one month of life-the neonatal period is the most vulnerable time for a child's survival. Ethiopia remains to have one of the highest rates of neonatal deaths in Africa with the rate of 30 deaths per 1000 live births. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the risk factors of neonatal death among Neonates admitted in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Sheik Hassan Yabare Referral Hospital, East Ethiopia. Materials and methods: Unmatched Case Control Study was conducted from August 1 to August 30, 2019. Data were extracted from the medical records of neonates admitted during a two-year period from July 30, 2017 to August 01, 2019. using pretested questionnaire. Cases and controls were selected using the systematic sampling technique. Data were entered using Epidata 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23.0 for cleaning and analyses. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were done to determine factors associated with neonatal mortality and P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 76 (33.3%) cases and 152 (66.7%) controls were included in this study. The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that the possible risk factors of neonatal death in this study were; history of maternal urinary tract infection or sexually transmitted infection [AOR=3.058; 95% CI (1.136-8.229)]. Conclusion: The major risk factor of neonatal mortality in this study was maternal urinary tract infection, it was also investigated risk factors such as Residence, Birth weight, Parity, Antenatal visits, Type of breastfeeding, premature rupture of membranes or Place of delivery, Intrauterine growth retardation but were not observed to be predictors for neonatal death. Consolidation of the existing risk-based prevention and treatment strategies as well as boosting up of antenatal care and institutional delivery practices are recommended to improve neonatal survival.