Determinants of neonatal near misses among neonates admitted to Guji and Borena zones selected public hospitals, Southern Ethiopia, 2021: A facility based unmatched case control study design

There is little available evidence that quantifies the determinats of NNM in Ethiopia despite an increasing magnitude of neonatal mortality. Therefore, this study was designed to provide concrte evidence about the determinats of NNMS among neonates admitted to Guji and Borena Zones Public Hospitals, Southern Ethiopia, 2021. A facility based unmatched case control study design was conducted on 402 (134 cases and 268 controls) selected neonates admitted to Bule Hora, Adola and Yabelo General Hospitals from February 1-March 31, 2021. Cases were consecutively selected. Whereas for each case, two controls were selected by systematic random sampling technique. The data collection included a pretested and structured face-to-face interviewer administered questionnaire with a supplementation of maternal and neonatal medical records with checklists. Then the data were coded and entered in to Epi data version 3.1 and then exported to the Statistical Package for Social Science IBM version 25 for analysis. The descriptive statistics run and the results of the data were presented using frequencies, and tables. Bivariable and multi variable logistic regression was used for the analsysis of the data. Finally, Adjusted Odds Ratio together with 95% Confidence Intervals and p value <0.05 was used to declare the significance of all statistic. A total of 134 cases (neonatal near misses) and 268 controls (normal neonate) were participated in this study to make a response rate of 100% for both cases, and controls. In this study rural residence (AOR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.27, 0.96), previous history of neonatal death (AOR = 4.85, 95%CI: 2.24,10.49), birth interval ≤ 2 years (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.04, 3.11) and history of abortion (both induced and miscarriage) (AOR = 1.97, 95%CI: 1.17, 3.31) were found to be statistically significant at a p-value of <0.05. History of prior abortion history of prior neonatal death and short birth interval (≤ 2 years) were identified to be the determinats of NNMs. High quality antenatal and intrapartum continuum of care should be provided for women and neonates. Additionally, contraceptive utilization should be encouraged for a women to space the births of their children.