The frequency and patterns of neonatal mortality in maternity and childhood hospital in Mukalla, Hadhramaut Governorate (2020–2021)
Introduction: The neonatal period is defined as the first 28 days of life; it is a core indicator of neonatal health and well-being, and is becoming a prominent component of overall under-5 mortality.1 Children face the highest risk of dying during their first month of life, at an average global rat...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Clinical Medicine |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470211825001873 |
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| Summary: | Introduction: The neonatal period is defined as the first 28 days of life; it is a core indicator of neonatal health and well-being, and is becoming a prominent component of overall under-5 mortality.1 Children face the highest risk of dying during their first month of life, at an average global rate of 17 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2020.2 Given that there has been only one case-control study done regarding neonatal mortality at Maternity and Childhood Hospital, Mukalla, Yemen,3 there is a pressing need for updated data to improve healthcare. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the frequency and patterns of neonatal mortality at Maternity and Childhood Hospital, Mukalla. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 221 medical records of neonates admitted to the Maternity and Childhood Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021. Data were obtained from neonates’ medical records using a checklist adapted from the WHO guideline on neonatal mortality review and audit.4 The collected data were checked for accuracy and completeness, organised and entered into SPSS software (v 25) to summarise the data frequency and percentage. Results and Discussion: A total of 1,485 neonates were admitted during the period of the study, and 221 (14.8%) were proclaimed dead, similar to the results of the study carried out in Kermanshah, Iran (19.2%).5 However, the current finding was lower than in the studies carried out in Al-Gumhouri Teaching Hospital, Sana’a, Yemen (23.2%) and Al-Wahda Teaching Hospital, Aden (22.9%).6,7 Most of the deaths (164 (74.2%)) occurred during the early neonatal period (Fig 1). The mean age at death was 5.5±5 days, with a range of 1–27 days. More than half of the neonatal deaths were of boys (126 (57%)) compared with 94 deaths of girls (43%). 67% of neonatal deaths were from urban areas.Based on the outcomes of the research, the major causes of neonatal mortality in the current study were respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and prematurity (Fig 2). This was consistent with the results of research conducted in Al-Amara, Iraq, where RDS was the leading cause of neonatal deaths,8 but was in contrast to the findings of research in Sana’a, Yemen, and Aden, Yemen, where prematurity was the most common cause of neonatal mortality.6,7 The most common maternal complication during pregnancy was preterm labor (76%), which is linked to prematurity, one of the leading causes of neonatal death (Table 1). This result is similar to a study conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (37%).9 Conclusion: Most of the deaths occurred during the early neonatal period. RDS, prematurity and low birth weight were the major causes of neonatal mortality. Given these findings, intensive efforts are needed from the Ministry of Public Health and Population in Yemen to improve neonatal care during the first week of life. |
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| ISSN: | 1470-2118 |