Prevalence and Factors Associated with Neonatal Sepsis in a Tertiary Hospital, North West Nigeria

Neonatal sepsis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality of newborns, especially in developing countries.

Our study determined the prevalence of neonatal sepsis and its predisposing factors among neonates admitted in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH).

This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in ABUTH.

The data were abstracted from the case notes of neonates admitted from May 2017 to May 2018. A pretested pro forma was used to abstract the data.

Odds ratios and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the factors associated with neonatal sepsis among the study population.

The prevalence of neonatal sepsis was 37.6%. Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated organism. Neonates 0-7 days of age were 2.8 times less likely to develop neonatal sepsis than older neonates. Babies born with an Apgar score of <6 within the 1^st min were 2.4 times more likely to develop neonatal sepsis than those whose Apgar score was higher. Neonates of mothers who had urinary tract infection during pregnancy were 2.3 times more likely to have had sepsis and those whose mothers had premature rupture of membranes were 4.6 times more likely.

The prevalence of neonatal sepsis was high among the neonates studied. Neonatal and maternal factors were associated with sepsis in the neonates. These findings provide guidelines for the selection of empirical antimicrobial agents in the study site and suggest that a continued periodic evaluation is needed to anticipate the development of neonatal sepsis among neonates admitted.