The pattern of neonatal admissions and mortality at a regional and district hospital in the Upper West Region of Ghana; a cross sectional study

Edem M A Tette; Edmund T Nartey; Benjamin D Nuertey; Emmanuel A Azusong; Dominic Akaateba; Judith Yirifere; Augustine Alandu; Nana Ayegua Hagan Seneadza; Naa Barnabas Gandau; Lorna A Renner

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0232406

The pattern of neonatal admissions and mortality at a regional and district hospital in the Upper West Region of Ghana; a cross sectional study

PLoS One. 2020 May 4;15(5):e0232406. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232406. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Community Health, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
² Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.
³ Public Health Department, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Tamale, Ghana.
⁴ Upper West Regional Hospital, Wa, Ghana.
⁵ St. Joseph's Hospital, Jirapa, Ghana.
⁶ School of Medical Sciences, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana.
⁷ Department of Child Health, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana.

Abstract

Background: High global neonatal deaths have triggered efforts to improve facility-based care. However, the outcomes achievable at different levels of care are unclear. This study compared morbidity and mortality patterns of newborns admitted to a regional and a district hospital in Ghana to determine outcome, risk and modifiable factors associated with mortality.

Objective: This study compared morbidity and mortality patterns of newborns admitted to a regional and a district hospital in Ghana to determine outcome, risk and modifiable factors associated with mortality.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involving a records-review over one year at the Upper West Regional Hospital, and three years at St Joseph's District Hospital, Jirapa was carried out. Age, sex, gestational age, weight, duration of admission, diagnosis, among others were examined. The data were analysed and statistical inference made.

Results: Altogether, 2004 newborns were examined, comprising 1,241(62%) from St Joseph's District Hospital and 763(38%) from Upper West Regional Hospital. The proportion of neonatal deaths was similar, 8.94% (St Joseph's District Hospital) and 8.91% (Upper West Regional Hospital). Prematurity, neonatal sepsis, birth asphyxia, low birth weight, neonatal jaundice and pneumonia contributed the most to mortality and suspected infections including malaria accounted for almost half (45.5%). Mortality was significantly associated with duration of stay of 48 hours, being premature, and being younger than 3 days.

Conclusion: Majority of the mortality among the neonates admitted was due to preventable causes. Better stabilization and further studies on the epidemiology of sepsis, prematurity, low birth weight, including the contribution of malaria to these and outcome of transferred neonates are needed.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Asphyxia Neonatorum / epidemiology
Asphyxia Neonatorum / mortality
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Ghana / epidemiology
Hospital Mortality
Hospitalization*
Hospitals, District
Humans
Infant
Infant Mortality*
Infant, Low Birth Weight
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature
Male
Neonatal Sepsis / epidemiology
Neonatal Sepsis / mortality
Patient Admission

Grants and funding

We are grateful to Global Affairs Canada, which funded this project under the Technology for Maternal and Child Health Project implemented by Savanna Signatures, Tamale, Ghana. The analysis, interpretation of data and writing of the manuscript was funded by the authors without any involvement of Savanna Signatures, Tamale, Ghana. APC: received no external funding. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.