The state of birth asphyxia in Ethiopia: An umbrella review of systematic review and meta-analysis reports, 2020

BACKGROUND: To this date, there are 4 systematic reviews and meta-analyses studies about the burden and associated factors of birth asphyxia in Ethiopia. However, findings of these studies are inconsistent which is difficult to make use of the findings for preventing birth asphyxia in the country. Therefore, umbrella review of these studies is required to pool the inconsistent findings into a single summary estimate that can be easily referred by the information users in Ethiopia. METHODS: PubMed, Science direct, web of science, data bases specific to systematic reviews such as the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects were searched for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (SRM) studies on the magnitude and risk factors of perinatal asphyxia in Ethiopia. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) tool. The estimates of the included SRM studies on the prevalence and predictors of perinatal asphyxia were pooled and summarized with random-effects meta-analysis models. From checking PROSPERO, this umbrella review wasn't registered. RESULTS: We included four SRM studies with a total of 49,417 neonates. The summary estimate for prevalence of birth asphyxia was 22.52% (95% CI = 17.01%–28.02%; I(2) = 0.00). From the umbrella review, the reported factors of statistical significance include: maternal illiteracy [AOR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.44–2.67], primiparity [AOR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.03–1.62], antepartum hemorrhage [AOR = 3.43; 95% CI: 1.74–6.77], pregnancy induced hypertension [AOR = 4.35; 95% CI: 2.98–6.36], premature rupture of membrane [AOR = 12.27; 95% CI: 2.41, 62.38], prolonged labor [AOR = 3.18; 95% CI: 2.75, 3.60], meconium-stained amniotic fluid [AOR = 5.94; 95% CI: 4.86, 7.03], instrumental delivery [AOR = 3.39; 95% CI: 2.46, 4.32], non-cephalic presentation [AOR = 3.39; 95% CI: 1.53, 5.26], cord prolapse [AOR = 2.95; 95% CI: 1.64, 5.30], labor induction [AOR = 3.69; 95% CI: 2.26–6.01], cesarean section delivery [AOR = 3.62; 95% CI: 3.36, 3.88], low birth weight [AOR = 6.06; 95% CI: 5.13, 6.98] and prematurity [AOR = 3.94; 95% CI: 3.67, 4.21] at 95% CI. CONCLUSION: This umbrella review revealed high burden of birth asphyxia in Ethiopia. The study also indicated significant risk of birth asphyxia among mothers who were unable to read and write, primiparous mothers, those mothers having antepartum hemorrhage, pregnancy induced hypertension, premature rupture of membrane, prolonged labor, meconium-stained amniotic fluid, instrumental delivery, cesarean section delivery, non-cephalic presentation, cord prolapse and labor induction. Moreover, low birth weight and premature neonates were more vulnerable to birth asphyxia compared to their normal birth weight and term counterparts. Therefore, burden of birth asphyxia should be mitigated through special consideration of these risk mothers and neonates during antenatal care, labor and delivery. Mitigation of the problem demands the collaborative efforts of national, regional and local stakeholders of maternal and neonatal health.