Determinants of Neonatal Morbidity And Mortality In The Suburbs of Dakar in Senegal

Abstract

Introduction: Neonatal morbidity and mortality is a major public health problem in developing countries
such as Senegal. The objective of our study was to study the determinants of neonatal morbidity and
mortality in a hospital located in the suburbs of Dakar in Senegal.
Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study over the period
from 1 January to 31 December 2019 (1 year).
Results: Of the 1198 children hospitalized in the ward, all 500 were newborns.
(incidence=41.7%). The sex ratio was 1.29. The most common maternal pathologies were hypertension,
preeclampsia and diabetes. The notion of urogenital infection was reported in 21% of cases MPR was
greater than 12 hours in 60% of cases. More than a quarter (27%) of newborns had not screamed at
birth and 74% were resuscitated. Almost half of newborns (43%) were preterm infants. Hypotrophs
accounted for 48% (n=202). Diagnoses on admission were dominated by infections neonatal, inhalation
of amniotic fluid, hyaline membrane disease and perinatal asphyxia. The mortality rate was 19% (n=95).
The most frequently found causes of death were related to prematurity (48.4%), respiratory distress
(82%) and nosocomial infections (20%).
Conclusion: Despite initiatives undertaken at the national level, statistics remain
alarming and call for more efforts to be made to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
by 2030.