[Neonatal mortality in a regional perinatal hospital in Merida, Yucatan, 1995-2004. II. Analysis of causes and risk factors].

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the causes of neonatal mortality, its distribution, the moment of appearance and risk factors.

PATIENTS AND METHOD: We studied a cohort of 46,297 live newborns born at the mentioned hospital, weighing 500 g or more. In a database we registered: birth weight, gestational age, days of hospital stay, discharged condition, one and five Apgar minute score, morbidity, death causes, moment of death, reducible death/reducible difficult death rate presented in less than 24 hours, 1 to 6 days, and 7 to 27 postnatal days. We compared morbidity, mortality, and risk factors in a three-year period to facilitate the analysis.

RESULTS

Mortality increased with the lesser one minute Apgar score: 0.2, 9.7 and 42.9% when score was 7-10, 4-6, or 0-3, respectively, and 0.6, 41.9 and 62.9% at five minute Apgar score. Malformations were the first cause of death, which increased from 28.6 to 40.3%. Respiratory distress syndrome mortality decreased 34% and that of meconium aspiration syndrome 53%. Reducible death/hardly reducible death rate occurred from 1 to 6 days decreased 67%, from 5.2 to 1.7 (reference value 1).

CONCLUSIONS

Preventable causes of death decreased significantly, particularly those related to perinatal causes, although they are still high compared with developed countries.