TITLE:
Maternal and Neonatal Factors Associated with Mortality of Preterm Babies Admitted in Newborn Unit of Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya
AUTHORS:
Angela Mwangi, Okubatsion Tekeste Okube, Jane Kamau
KEYWORDS:
Preterm Babies, Mortality Rate, Factors Associated with Preterm Babies’ Mor-tality
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.12 No.12,
December
27,
2022
ABSTRACT: Background: Preterm birth is a primary
cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality especially in low-income countries.
Although understanding the preventable factors of neonatal deaths in preterm
infants is required for timely interventions, data on those factors is lacking
in Kenya. We attempted to determine mortality and its associated factors in
preterm babies in Kenya. Methods and Materials: A hospital-based,
prospective study was implemented from July 2019 to October 2019 involving 163
preterm neonates and their mothers admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital. A
systematic random sampling method was used to recruit the study participants.
Data on mortality and the associated factors in preterm neonates were collected
using a pretested questionnaire for mothers and neonatal medical records. Data
was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The
mortality rate was 18.4%. Of the neonates who died, respiratory distress
syndrome (63.3%) and neonatal sepsis (20.0%) were documented as the primary
causes. Neonates born of single mother (AOR = 8.006, 95% CI 2.267 to 28.272, p
= 0.001), unemployed (6.960, 1.059 - 45.757, p = 0.043), self-employed (4.040,
1.067 - 15.302, p = 0.040), anemic (7.465, 2.530 - 22.023, p Conclusion: High mortality rates of preterm
neonates are attributed to both maternal and neonatal factors. Focused
antenatal care should aim at early identification of high-risk mothers for
early management of bleeding during pregnancy, close monitoring of nutritional
status for mothers and health education.