Current factors affecting the risk of omphalitis in newborns: A prospective case-control study

We aimed to determine the current factors affecting the development of omphalitis in our region.

This prospective case-control study included term and late preterm newborns admitted to the newborn outpatient clinic or paediatric emergency service between 2014 and 2015. One hundred newborns with omphalitis and age-matched 100 newborns as a control group were included. The perinatal, postnatal, and sociocultural characteristics of newborns were evaluated and the factors that could influence the development of omphalitis were determined.

Younger maternal age and primiparity, lower maternal education, and lower maternal hand washing habits were the significant risk factors of omphalitis development. Using non-cotton clothes were the most important risk factor amongst all factors as it increases the omphalitis risk up to 13 times. The frequency of omphalitis was significantly higher in warm months when microorganisms were able to colonise and reproduce compared with the colder months.

Results suggested that community-based interventions promoting the improvement of neonatal care should emphasise simple and low-cost interventions such as hand washing habit of mothers, caring for the umbilical cord, and using cotton clothes for babies. This study also confirms the safety of dry cord care at the time of birth and afterwards. However, broadscale multicentric studies are needed to protect against omphalitis.