Birth asyphxia: Looking at trends of risk factors leading to birth asphyxia in a peripheral hospital

Abstract

Objectives: To look at the trends of risk factors leading to birth asphyxia, in newborns admitted to a peripheral hospital giving tertiary care. Methodology: Descriptive longitudinal study conducted over a period of 6 months (March 2016–August 2016) in babies fulfilling the criteria for birth asphyxia. Variables studied included antenatal care (ANC), period of gestation, place of delivery, mode of delivery, birth weight, pregnancy complication, and time of arrival to hospital. Results: The total number of admission in neonatal unit during the study period was 540, of which 58 babies fulfilled the inclusion criteria for birth asphyxia. The majority of admissions were referred from government hospital (68.91%), and all the mothers were booked and had ANC visits. Similarly, all were full terms except one preterm baby. Caesarean section was performed in 25.8%, and 74.2% had normal vaginal delivery. All were institutional/hospital delivery. The majority (65%) of babies were referred within 6 h, and 79.3% of babies weighed more than 2.5 kg. Conclusion: Birth asphyxia occurring in such a high number of booked cases with institutional/hospital delivery indicates inadequate perinatal services. It is advisable to have trained neonatal resuscitation personnel with all necessary equipments and medications at the time of delivery.

Keywords

• Birth asphyxia
• neonatal mortality
• risk factors