Institution Based Prospective Cross-Sectional Study on Patterns of Neonatal Morbidity at Gondar University Hospital Neonatal Unit, North-West Ethiopia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Every year, millions of babies are born and a large proportion of them are beingadmitted to hospital for various indications. This study was conducted to identify the generalcharacteristics, disease spectrum and common causes of Neonatal morbidity and mortality at GondarUniversity Hospital, Neonatal Unit.METHODS: Institution based prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at Gondar UniversityHospital (GUH), Neonatal Unit, from January 1 st to March 31 st , 2014. The study included 325 newbornswho were admitted to the unit during the study period. The neonates were followed up using structuredchecklist and neonatal parameters like Neonatal sex, place of delivery, address, length of stay, gestationalage, diagnosis and discharge conditions were transcribed into an electronic database for all observations.The primary outcome measures were death and cause of death.RESULTS: A total of 325 neonates were admitted during the study period. Of these, 75.1%, 23.1%, 1.2%and 0.6% were discharged improved, died, discharged with same condition and disappeared, respectively.Ten variables were found to have significant statistical associations with neonatal mortality afteradjusting for demographic covariates: Prematurity (p < 0.001), Meningitis (p <0.001), HemorrhagicDiseases (P <0.001), Hyaline Membrane Disease (P<0.001), Neonatal Sepsis (p <0.05), Meningitis(<0.05), Perinatal Asphyxia (p <0.05), Neonatal Seizure (p <0.05), Home delivery (p <0.05) andMeconium Aspiration (p <0.05).CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the common causes of neonatal mortality are almost similar withthe previous evidences (problems of prematurity, Asphyxia and Sepsis).