Birth trauma among liveborn infants in Mulago Hospital, Uganda

In this retrospective review, data is presented of birth trauma seen among 4288 live born infants admitted to the special care unit of a large hospital over a three year period. Hypoxaemic brain injury resulting from birth asphyxia was by far the commonest form of birth trauma in this sample and it was the main cause of death, in many infants. All infants diagnosed as having sustained intracranial haemorrhage died while none of the other types of birth injuries were associated with any deaths. The need is emphasised to handle "high risk" deliveries with extra care while at the same time seeking solutions to the risk factors as well as lifting the overall standard of living of women in the community.