Einstein (São Paulo) (Mar 2003)

Neonatal mortality at Hospital Geral do Grajaú

  • José Ricardo Dias Bertagnon,
  • Jane de Eston Armond,
  • Magda Santos Torres,
  • Josiane Carignani

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 1
pp. 9 – 13

Abstract

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OBJECTIVES: To analyze the characteristics of neonatal deaths atHospital Geral Grajaú, in 2002, and assess the influence of perinatalfactors in mortality. METHODS: A retrospective and descriptivestudy, including all births that took place at Hospital Geral do Grajaú,in the city of São Paulo, in 2002, totaling 2,694 newborns. Thecauses of death were classified as “maternal-related”, “fetusrelated”,“delivery-related”, “newborn-related”, and “institutional”causes. They were also classified as avoidable and unavoidableregarding institutional resources. The chi-square test (p < 0.05)was applied to study anoxia and mortality data. RESULTS: Thepercentage of death among all liveborn neonates was 1.19%; inthat, 52% with extremely low birth weight, 34.48% with very lowbirth weight, and 7.22% with low birth weight babies. Theextremely-low-birth-weight neonates (weight < 1,000 g)represented 0.93% of the live-borns and 40.62% of the deaths.The very-low-birth-weight babies (weight < 1,500 g) accountedfor 2.16% of the population studied and 62.49% of the deaths;whereas the low-birth-weight neonates (weight < 2,500 g)represented 13.36% of the live-borns and 81.23% of the deaths.Mortality by specific weight decreased in all groups except for the2,500-4,000 g group, which presented a rate higher than theprevious groups (in absolute numbers) for comprising moreneonates. Most deaths occurred in the first 7 days of life, and25%, after 28 days. Neonatal mortality rate was 8.91%0. Earlyneonatal mortality rate was 6.31%0 and late hospital neonatalmortality rate was 2.60%0. Intrauterine infection, malformation, andsevere anoxia accounted for 56.27% of the causes of death. It waspossible to identify the non-hospital related causes (externalfactors) in 75% of the cases. Anoxia was significantly associatedto mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Neonatal mortality at Hospital Geraldo Grajaú was comparable to that observed in the State of SãoPaulo. Perinatal anoxia was significantly associated to neonatalmortality. Unavoidable causes accounted for 64% of deaths.

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