Background: Neonatal Near Miss (NNM) is a situation where a newborn narrowly survived the neonatal period. It has been hypothesized that identifying factors that contribute to the occurrence of NNM and taking timely interventions could enhance the quality of newborn care. However, there is limited evidence in Australia. This study aimed to identify the determinants of NNM in Australia.
Methods: Data from the 1973-78 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were linked with state-based Perinatal Data Collections (PDC) for 3655 mothers and 5526 newborns who were born between 01 January 2007 and 31 December 2015. A newborn was considered as a near miss case if presented with any of the pragmatic criteria (gestational age <32 weeks, birth weight <1500 g, five-minute Apgar score <7) and survived the neonatal period. A multilevel multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants of NNM.
Results: Of the total 5526 live births included in this study, 95 live births met the criteria for NNM, corresponding to an incidence of 17.2 per 1000 live births. After controlling for potential confounders, maternal age 31-34 years (AOR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.05, 6.30) and 35 years and above (AOR = 4.03; 95% CI: 1.58, 10.31), caesarean section (AOR = 2.24; 95% CI: 1.09, 4.57), and gestational hypertension (AOR = 2.63; 95% CI: 1.21, 5.71) increased the odds of NNM.
Conclusion: Inclusion of NNM evaluations into newborn care and early screening and interventions for women who become pregnant at older age and those with pregnancy complications could improve the quality of newborn care and reduce neonatal morbidity.
Keywords: Australia; Neonatal near miss; Newborn health.
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