Morbidity and mortality patterns of preterm low birthweight neonates admitted to referral hospitals in the Amhara region of Ethiopia: retrospective follow-up study

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the morbidity and mortality patterns of preterm neonates with low birth weight admitted in the Amhara region referral hospitals in Ethiopia. DESIGN: Hospital-based retrospective follow-up study. SETTING: Amhara region referral hospitals, Ethiopia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 291 preterm neonates low birth weight that were admitted to referral hospitals in the Amhara region between 1 January 2017 and 30 December 2018 were reviewed. Data were entered into Epi-data V.4.4.2.1 and exported to STATA V.14 for analysis, and variables with a p value of <0.05 at 95% confidence level in multivariable logistic regression model analysis were declared as statistically significant associated factors of mortality. PRIMARY OUTCOME: Morbidity and mortality patterns in preterm low birthweight neonates. RESULTS: This study revealed that 37.8% (95% CI 32.4% to 43.5%) of preterm low birthweight neonates died. The most common morbidities found were 219 (75.26%) hypothermia, followed by 201 (69.07%), 145 (49.83%), 39 (13.4%) and 24 (8.25%) with sepsis, respiratory distress, jaundice and congenital anomalies, respectively. Sepsis (AOR: 2.0; 95% CI 1.03 to 3.89), respiratory distress (AOR: 4.6; 95% CI 2.51 to 8.40), hypoglycaemia (AOR 3.91; 95% CI 1.09 to 10.52), APGAR score at fifth minute <7 (AOR 0.39; 95% CI (0.18 to 0.82) and duration of hospital stay below mean (<9.82 days) (AOR 0.17; 95% CI 0.09 to 0.33) were associated with mortality. CONCLUSION: The mortality rate of preterm low birthweight neonates was high, indicating that this is a public health issue. Hypothermia, sepsis, respiratory distress, jaundice and congenital anomalies were the common morbidities. Sepsis, respiratory distress, hypoglycaemia, Apgar score at fifth minute <7 and duration of hospital stay below the mean were independent factors of mortality. However, these need to be further investigated in future research and appropriately addressed using prospective follow-up.