Maternal Immunization Status in Neonatal Tetanus

Abstract

Summary: In a review of 99 cases of neonatal tetanus admitted over a three-year period (January 1986 to December 1988), tetanus accounted for 6.8 percent of all admissions into the neonatal ward and the case fatality rate was 54,9 percent. All mothers who delivered at home and in the church premises were unimmunized against tetanus, while 46.5 percent ofthose who delivered in hospital were partially immunized. No mother was fully immunized. Partially immunized mothers had a significantly reduced mortal ity rate than unimmunized mothers. These findings underline the need to utilize fully all opportunities for tetanus immunization among mothers attending hospital clinics and to fashion strategies of extending EPI programmes for tetanus to cover non hospital deliveries.