Abstract:
Background: Perinatal asphyxia is one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity in Ethiopia.
Understanding associated factors of perinatal asphyxia are important to identify vulnerable groups and to improve
care during the perinatal period. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of perinatal
asphyxia among newborns admitted to NICU at the Gondar University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital Northwest
Ethiopia, Ethiopia.
Method: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted on 364 newborns from November 2018 - August
2019. Data was collected using a structured and pre-tested questionnaire. It was then cleaned, coded, and entered
using EPI INFO version 7, then analyzed with SPSS statistics version 20.0. Binary logistic regression analysis was used
to identify variables with p < 0.2. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% CI and P-value of <0.05 was used to identify
significantly associated variables with perinatal asphyxia.
Result: The prevalence of perinatal asphyxia in this study was 19.8, 95%CI (15.9, 24.2). Absence of maternal formal
education (AOR = 4.09, 95%CI: 1.25, 13.38), pregnancy-induced hypertension (AOR = 4.07, 95%CI: 1.76, 9.40), antepartum
hemorrhage (AOR = 6.35, 95%CI: 1.68, 23.97), prolonged duration of labor (AOR = 3.69, 95%CI: 1.68, 8.10), instrumental
delivery (AOR = 3.17, 95%CI: 1.22, 8.21), and meconium-stained amniotic fluid (AOR = 4.50, 95%CI: 2.19, 9.26)
were significantly associated with perinatal asphyxia.
Conclusion: The prevalence rate of perinatal asphyxia in this study was comparable to other resource poor countries.
The absence of maternal formal education, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and Antepartum hemorrhage, prolonged
duration of labor, Instrumental assisted delivery, and meconium-stained amniotic fluid was having significant
association with perinatal asphyxia in this study.
Keywords: Perinatal asphyxia, Newborn, Gondar, Ethiopia
