Death during First 48 Hours in the Department of Neonatology of the University Hospital of Brazzaville

Abstract

Introduction: Neonatal mortality is a public health problem in developing countries. Its reduction is an integral part of the goals for sustainable development. Objectives: To determine the frequency of deaths during the first 48 hours at the Brazzaville University Hospital, to identify the causes of death and to determine the factors associated with early death. Patients and methods: This was a descriptive and analytical study carried out in the neonatal department of the CHU Brazzaville from January 1 to June 30, 2018 (6 months). It concerned all neonates hospitalized during the study period and who died within 48 hours of hospitalization. The variables studied were epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and progressive. Results: 697 newborns were admitted to the service, 286 (41%) died, of which 133 (46.5%) in the first 48 hours of hospitalization. The average age at admission was 61.5 ± 132.5 hours. They were 64.4% male and 34.6% female. The causes of death were preterm birth in 52.6%, neonatal infection in 18.8%, perinatal asphyxia in 16.5% cases. Factors associated with death were male sex, baseline, vaginal delivery, respiratory distress, coma, prematurity, and low hemoglobin. Conclusion: The early death of the newborn is common in Brazzaville. It is a reflection of the inadequacies of the health system. Its reduction requires an improvement of the technical platform of the services involved and the reinforcement of the capacities of the human resources.