Determinants of mortality of preterm babies in the university of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin Nigeria.

AIMS AND

OBJECTIVES

A prospective study to identify the determinants of mortality among 185 preterm babies at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

Data on 185 preterm babies and their mothers were collected over a nine month period in a tertiary hospital to identify the determinants of mortality among these babies.

RESULTS

Factors identified as significant determinants of mortality were severe perinatal asphyxia (p = 0.000; OR = 71.31; 95% CI = 17.63-308.24), apnoea (p = 0.000; OR = 178.20; 95% CI = 20.64-7709.02), necrotizing entero-colitis (p = 0.001) and resuscitation duration (p = 0.003; OR = 5.33; 95% CI = 1.62-19.02).

CONCLUSION

The primary causes of death are severe perinatal asphyxia, respiratory distress syndrome and infection. In Nigeria, survival below 28 weeks gestation is less than 20%. The findings in this study highlight the need for prompt and effective resuscitation of these infants by a trained health worker with verifiable competence in newborn resuscitation. It also highlights the need for availability of functional facilities like ventilators and resources like surfactant.