Risk factors for stillbirth and neonatal mortality among participants in Mobile WACh NEO pilot, a two-way SMS communication program in Kenya.

Abstract

Globally, 2.5 million neonates die and 2 million more are stillborn each year; the vast majority occur where access to life-saving care is limited. High quality, feasible interventions are needed to reach, educate and empower pregnant women and new mothers to improve care-seeking behaviors. Mobile WACh (Mobile solutions for Women's and Children's health) NEO is a human-computer hybrid mobile health (mHealth) system that allows for two-way short message service (SMS) communication between women and healthcare workers during the peripartum period. We performed a secondary prospective cohort analysis of data from the Mobile WACh NEO pilot study to determine maternal characteristics associated with neonatal death and stillbirth and examine participant messaging associated with these events. Pregnant women were enrolled at two Kenyan public health clinics between 28-36 weeks gestation. They received personalized, educational, action-oriented SMS messages during pregnancy and through 14 weeks postpartum. Participants could message the study at any time and study nurses responded. Standardized questionnaires assessed participant characteristics at baseline and 14 weeks postpartum. Outcomes were ascertained at study visits or by SMS report. Among 798 pregnant women enrolled, median age was 24 years [IQR 21, 29], 37% were primiparous and 92% used SMS as a primary mode of communication. Seventeen neonatal deaths and 13 stillbirths occurred. Older maternal age was associated with increased risk of stillbirth [aRR 1.12 (CI 1.02-1.24), p <0.05]. We found no significant predictors of neonatal death. Participant messaging to study nurse about concerns in the week preceding death was less common prior to infant death after discharge home from facility birth (9%) than prior to stillbirth (23%). We found limited predictors of neonatal death and stillbirth, suggesting identifying women prenatally for targeted support may not be a feasible strategy. Scarce messaging from mothers whose neonates died may reflect difficulties identifying illness or rapid deterioration and needs to be better understood to design and test interventions for this high-risk period. Messaging prior to stillbirth, while at similar levels as other periods, does not appear to have an impact as most women do not experience identifiable signs or symptoms prior to the event.