Incidence of birth asphyxia as seen in central hospital and GN children's clinic both in Warri Niger Delta of Nigeria: an eight year retrospective review.

G I Mcgil Ugwu,H O Abedi,E N Ugwu

doi:10.5539/gjhs.v4n5p140

Abstract

Background:Birth asphyxia is one of the commonest causes of neonatal morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Together with prematurity and neonatal sepsis, they account for over 80% of neonatal deaths.Aim:To determine the incidence and mortality rate of birth asphyxia in Warri Niger Delta of Nigeria.Materials and Method:Recovery of case notes of all the newborn babies seen from January 2000 to December 2007 at Central Hospital Warri and GN children’s Clinic, Warri, was undertaken. They were analyzed and those with birth asphyxia were further analyzed, noting the causes, severity of asphyxia, sex of the babies, management given.Results:A total of 864 out of 26,000 neonates seen within this period had birth asphyxia. 525 (28/1000 live births) had mild asphyxia while 32% were severely asphyxiated. 61.5% of the asphyxiated were born at maternities, churches or delivered by traditional birth attendants or at home. Prolonged labour was the commonest cause of asphyxia and asphyxia was more in neonates from unbooked patients.Conclusion:The incidence of bith asphyxia in Warri is 28/1000. Majority of patients are from prolonged labour and delivery at unrecognized centres. Health education will dratically reduce the burden of asphyxia neanatorum as unsubtanciated religous beliefs have done a great havoc.

Highlights

Birth asphyxia is a major cause of neonatal death especially in developing countries and is defined as the inability of the newborn to initiate and sustain adequate respiration after delivery (Ezechukwu, Ugochukwu, Egbuonu, & Chukwuka, 2004)
A total of 864 out of 26,000 neonates seen within this period had birth asphyxia. 525 (28/1000 live births) had mild asphyxia while 32% were severely asphyxiated. 61.5% of the asphyxiated were born at maternities, churches or delivered by traditional birth attendants or at home
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Obstetrics, a neonate is labeled to be asphyxiated if the following conditions are satisfied. (a) umbilical cord arterial pH less than 7 (b) Apgar score of 0-3 for longer than 5minutes, (c) neonatal neurological manifestations such as seizures, coma, hypotonia and (d) multisystem organ dysfunction such as cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hematological, pulmonary and renal functions (Committee on Fetus and Newborn, 1996); American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (2002)

Summary

Introduction

Birth asphyxia is a major cause of neonatal death especially in developing countries and is defined as the inability of the newborn to initiate and sustain adequate respiration after delivery (Ezechukwu, Ugochukwu, Egbuonu, & Chukwuka, 2004). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between four and nine million newborns develop birth asphyxia each year. Infants with asphyxia pallida were generally regarded as severely affected, requiring immediate resuscitation (Haider & Butta, 2006). This was replaced by a more objective measure such as Apgar score by Dr Virginia Apgar (1953) an anesthesiologist in 1952. Materials and Method: Recovery of case notes of all the newborn babies seen from January 2000 to December 2007 at Central Hospital Warri and GN children’s Clinic, Warri, was undertaken They were analyzed and those with birth asphyxia were further analyzed, noting the causes, severity of asphyxia, sex of the babies, management given. Health education will dratically reduce the burden of asphyxia neanatorum as unsubtanciated religous beliefs have done a great havoc

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion