Prevalence of perinatal asphyxia and mortality in newborns admitted in Neonatal Ward at Tumbi Regional Referral Hospital from January to June 2022

Abstract

Purpose: Is to determine prevalence and immediate outcome of newborn with perinatal asphyxia admitted from January to June 2022 at Tumbi regional referral Hospital, Tanzania Scope: Review of 2022 hospital records from book number 14, in which all newborns admissions are documented indicating demographic data, provisional and definitive diagnoses, as well as investigation results, treatment and outcome. Data reviewed was for all 669 admitted newborns from January to June 2022. Two children with both perinatal asphyxia and severe congenital malformations were excluded. Results: During the period of six months, 138 (20.6%) out of 669 admitted newborns had perinatal asphyxia, in which 58 (55.2%) were males. A total of 34 newborns died, majority of which being males (64.7%). Findings: Mortality in newborns with perinatal asphyxia is still high, as 24.6% of asphyxiated newborns died within the admission period, compared to 9.8% deaths in newborns without asphyxia. Conclusion: A total of 669 newborns were admitted in which 20.6% had perinatal asphyxia, with mortality of 5% out of all admissions. Perinatal asphyxia still contributes considerably to morbidity and mortality. Cost-effective measures to improve maternal and newborn care should be available and sustainable.