Neonatal Infection in the University Teaching Hospital of Parakou/Benin: Trends in Frequency and Lethality from 2010 To 2016

Abstract

Introduction: In countries with high mortality, as in sub-Saharan Africa, approximately half of the neonatal deaths are attributable to infections. This study aimed to investigate the trends in frequency and lethality of neonatal infections in the University Teaching Hospital of Parakou (CHU-P), from 2010 to 2016. Patients and methods: This research work is a cross-sectional and descriptive study with retrospective collection of data carried out in the CHU-P Pediatric Unit during the period running from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2016. It involved newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit during the study period. Main variables were related to neonatal infections. Results: During the study period, 6204 newborns were registered, including 3530 boys and 2674 girls i.e. a sex ratio of 1.32. Mean age for newborns was 6.01 ± 5.39 days. Average frequency of neonatal infection (NNI) was 54.11%, oscillating between 48.87% in 2010 and 56.91% in 2015. Average lethality or mortality rate was estimated at 26.30%, with extremes of 21.12% in 2013 and 31.58% in 2012. Conclusion: More than 5 out of 10 children hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit between 2010 and 2016 were diagnosed with a neonatal infection and one out of five newborns died of it. This sometimes justifies the excessive use of antibiotics. Prospective study with appropriate diagnostic tools is necessary to take stock of the actual status of neonatal infection in the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.