Predictors of mortality of low birth weight newborns during the neonatal period: A cohort study in two health districts of Burkina Faso.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the neonatal mortality rate among low birth weight infants, and identify the predictors of mortality during the neonatal period in two health districts in Burkina Faso.

METHODS

A prospective cohort study of live born babies delivered in health centers that weighed less than 2500 g. Their survival status at the end of the neonatal period was measured and analyzed using multivariate analysis in a Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

The study included 341 newborns (146 newborns from Kaya health district and 195 from Dori health district). The mean weight was 2158.2±287.1g. Neonatal mortality was 53 per 1000 live births (18 deaths and 323 survivors), while the incidence density was 1.93 per 1000 persons/days (95% CI, 1.2-3.1). After adjustment, the factors significantly associated with neonatal death included preterm infants (HR 8.0; 95% CI, 2.4-26.5), the mother's history of infant death (HR 14.3; 95% CI, 4.1-49.7), young maternal age (HR 0.9; 95% CI, 0.8-0.9), immunization status (HR 5,1; 95% CI, 1.8-14.2), and infant birth weight (HR 0.8; 95% CI, 0.7-0.9).

CONCLUSION

Neonatal mortality among low birth weight infants in the study population was 53 per 1000 live births. This is higher than the 28 per 1000 live births reported by the 2010 Demographic Health Survey for the general population. Therefore, it is necessary to follow infants with low birth weight after they leave health centers.