Correlates of mortality among hospital-born neonates with birth asphyxia

Birth asphyxia is a major cause of neonatal mortality. An understanding of the determinants of mortality among asphyxiated neonates will help formulate effective management protocols.

One hundred and fifty consecutive neonates with birth asphyxia (apnoea or gasping respiration at 1-minute of age) were prospectively studied. The association of the outcome variable, namely, mortality before discharge, was documented in relation to a number of clinically important risk factors.

The neonatal mortality of 24.7% (37/150) among asphyxiated neonates was 34.5-times compared to that of the non-asphyxiated population (p < 0.001). The mortality rates in preterm-and term-asphyxiated neonates were 47.8% and 6%, respectively (p < 0.0001). The relative risk of mortality increased progressively with increased birth-weight. On univariate analysis, prematurity, low birth-weight, respiratory distress, severity of asphyxia, hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, apnoea, acidosis and seizures were found to be significant risk factors of death. However, on step wise regression analysis, prematurity emerged as the most significant determinant of mortality. The highest positive predictive value (58.3%) for mortality was documented for hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.

A significant reduction in mortality among asphyxiated neonates will require aggressive management of prematurity-related neonatal complications and hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.