Incidence and Associated Factors of Birth Asphyxia in Neonates Admitted at St. Patrick’s Hospital, a District Hospital in Ghana

Research Background: Birth asphyxia is a significant contributor to the overall neonatal mortality in Ghana and across the world, as it accounts for 900,000 deaths each year globally and 28% of the neonatal deaths in Ghana. Research Objectives: To determine the incidence of birth asphyxia, the maternal and neonatal associated factors, the outcome of birth asphyxia and duration of hospital stay of asphyxiated babies at St. Patrick’s Hospital, Of-finso, Ghana. Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive, prospective study was conducted in the neonatal unit of St. Patrick’s Hospital, Offinso from June 10 to October 15, 2019. A signed or thumb-printed informed consent was obtained from mothers of babies with Apgar score of 1 - 6 in the 5th minute and enrolled in the study. The maternal and neonatal factors of birth asphyxia were assessed using their folders as well as one-on-one interviews with the mothers to answer a structured questionnaire. The data was entered into a database using Microsoft Excel and statistical analysis was done after data cleaning. Results: There were 1557 deliveries during the study period, with 52 cases of birth asphyxia. Out of this, 44 were inborn at St. Patrick’s Hospital, Offinso, giving an incidence of 2.82% (28.2 per 1000 live births). The commonest maternal factor was pre-eclampsia, 5 (41.67%) and neonatal factors were cephalic presentation, 48 (92.32%), spontaneous vaginal delivery, 30 (57.69%), meconiumstained liquor, 30 (57.59%) and male sex (63.46%). The outcome of admission was 84.62% discharge and 15.38% deaths. Most babies had no early neurological outcome, 51 (97.62%) with only one baby having early neurological outcome of no cry at time of discharge. The average duration of stay at the hospital was 5.5 days. Conclusion: The incidence of birth asphyxia is still high. Early detection and management of maternal and neonatal-associated factors could lead to a reduction or prevention of birth asphyxia and reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity.