Determinants of Birth Asphyxia among Newborns in Amhara National Regional State Referral Hospitals, Ethiopia

Abstract Background Globally, every year, 2.5 million infants die within their first month of life. Neonatal asphyxia is the leading specific cause of neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the determinants of birth asphyxia among newborns admitted in Amhara region referral hospitals, Ethiopia. Methods Facility-based unmatched case-control study was employed among 193 cases and 193 controls of newborns. Newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care units with admission criteria of birth asphyxia and without birth asphyxia were considered as cases (Apgar score<7) and controls (Apgar score>=7) respectively. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire by systematic random sampling technique with proportional allocation, and entered in to Epi-Info version 7 and exported to SPSS version 20 for statistical analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted to identify determinants of birth asphyxia. Results Newborns with low birth weight (<2.5kg) had 8.94 higher odds of birth asphyxia than those whose weight at birth was >=2.5kg at birth (AOR: 8.94, 95% CI: 4.08, 19.56). Newborns born at health centers were 7.36 times more likely to develop birth asphyxia than those born at hospitals (AOR: 7.36, 95% CI: 2.44, 22.13). Newborns born using instrumental delivery were 3.03 times more likely to develop birth asphyxia than those delivered by vaginally (AOR: 3.03, 95% CI: 1.41, 6.49). Newborns from mothers with prolonged labor were 2 times more likely to suffer from birth asphyxia as compared to their counterparts (AOR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.20, 3.36). Conclusion This study identified prolonged labor, instrumental delivery, delivered at health centers, and low birth weight were identified as determinants of birth asphyxia. Thus, intervention planning towards the identified determinants may be needed to reduce neonatal birth asphyxia.