Determinants of Neonatal Mortality in a Private Tertiary Health Facility in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Private tertiary health facilities in Nigeria are patronized mainly by those who can afford to pay for their services due to the high cost of medical care in these facilities. As a result the morbidity and mortality pattern may be unique.

Aim: The study was aimed at determining the neonatal morbidity and mortality pattern and the determinants of neonatal mortality in a private tertiary health facility in the Niger Delta region.

Methodology: The study was a review of all the cases admitted into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Lily hospital from 1^st January to 31^st December 2019. All cases were identified in the electronic data system of the hospital and data such as age, gestational age, sex, place of delivery, mode of delivery, diagnosis, treatment outcome were documented. The educational status and occupation of both parents were documented. Data was collected into an Excel Spreadsheet and analysis was with IBM SPSS for Windows 7, version 23.

Results: There were one hundred and eleven admissions into the NICU with 53 (47.7%) females and 58 (52.3%) males. Prematurity, neonatal jaundice and meconium aspiration syndromes were the commonest indications for admission. There were 13 (11.7%) deaths recorded during the period under review. However, prematurity, aspiration syndrome and NNS had the highest case fatality rate. Un-booked pregnancies (AOR =4.6; 95%CI= 0.8-26.7; p value =0.01) and delivery in a Primary Health Centre (AOR= 2.1; 95%CI =1.1-4.4; p = 0.04) were the most important predictors of neonatal mortality.

Conclusion: The commonest indications for admission into the NICU were prematurity, NNJ and meconium aspiration syndrome. Unsupervised pregnancy and delivery in a Primary Health Care facility were the most important determinants of mortality