PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS OF ANEMIA AMONG FULL TERM NEWBORN BABIES AT UNIVERSITY OF GONDAR COMPRESSIVE SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL, NORTHWEST, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Anemia in newborn babies can be severe to an acute life-threatening event. If untreated, it leads to impairment in brain development, lack of oxygen in organs and tissues, poor school performance in the later years. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the burden of newborn anemia ranges from 23 – 66%. However, in Ethiopia, there is limited information regarding its prevalence and associated factors. Objective: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of anemia among full term newborn babies at University of Gondar compressive specialized referral hospital, northwest Ethiopia. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1 to April 30, 2019 among 192 full term newborn babies. Systematic random sampling technique was employed to select study participants. Socio-demographic characteristics and maternal clinical data were collected using questionnaire and reviewing medical records. Then cord and maternal venous blood were collected for complete blood count and analyzed using Sysmex KX-21N hematology analyzer. After checking completeness, data were entered in to Epi Info 7.2.1 and transferred to SPSS 20 for analysis. Frequencies, percentages, median and interquartile range were used to summarize descriptive data. To determine associated factors of newborn anemia, we used bivariable and multivariable logistic regression. Odds ratio with 95% CI was used to determine strength of association. P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Result: The median (interquartile range) of cord hemoglobin was 15 (13.93 -16.2)g/dL. From 192 newborn babies, 48 (25%) were anemic. Based on morphology, majority (87.5%) of anemia was normocytic normochromic type and the remaining was microcytic hypochromic anemia type. Anemia was associated with maternal vegetable consumption habit (AOR = 0.34, 95%CI: 0.17, 0.69). Conclusion: Anemia among newborn babies found to be a moderate public health problem. Mothers who consumed vegetable were preventing the occurrence of newborn anemia. We recommend that early screening of newborn anemia may be reducing further complication.