Abstract

Early neonatal mortality: Analysis of 15 years . Rev Cubana Obstet Ginecol [online]. 2005, vol.31, n.3. ISSN 0138-600X.

Early neonatal mortality is a component of infant mortality and is mostly found in the first 24 hours after birth, generally accounting for 65 % of deaths in the first year of life. Cuba has a very low early neonatal mortality rate that is comparable to that of the developed countries (2.7 per 1000 live births in 2004). With the objective of studying the situation of these deaths at the institution, a retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study of all early neonatal deaths occurred from January 1 st, 1990 to December 31 st, 2005 was conducted in the teaching gynecological and obstetric hospital of Guanabacoa municipality. Such a study covered the 113 dead children out of a total number of 33 894 live births. The first cause of death in this period was infection; there has been no death from hyaline membrane disease since 1998. Low birthweight was not a health problem in our hospital. Emphasis was made on the arduous work done in preventing and controlling the causes of infant mortality, which allows showing the very good results attained by the hospital since no death from hyaline membrane disease, low birthweight or prematurity occurred in this period. However, it is important to continue taking actions to prevent neonatal sepsis.

Keywords : early mortality; neonatal sepsis.

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