Abstract:
Background: Preterm delivery is very important world health concern mostly due to its high
prevalence in low- and middle-income countries. Neuro developmental problems and respiratory
distress syndrome are among the difficulties that preterm newborns are more likely to
experience. There is lack of studies on this crucial topic in Ambo University Referral Hospital.
Objective: To assess the magnitude of neonatal mortality and associated factors among preterm
neonates admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Ambo University Referral Hospital, Ambo
town, West Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2025.
Method: A two-year retrospective study was conducted on the medical records and neonatal
intensive care unit (NICU) admission logbooks of preterm neonates admitted to Ambo
University Referral Hospital between September 11/2022 to September 10/2024. Simple random
sampling technique was used to select 345 medical record sheet of preterm neonate admitted to
NICU of AURH. The data were collected by kobotool box mobile application. The bivariate
analysis was undertaken to identify the candidate variables for the multi-variable logistic
regression analysis at p-value < 0.25. The multivariable logistic regression analysis was
undertaken to identify the factors associated with the neonatal mortality by controlling the
confounding variables at a significance level of p-value < 0.05. Finally, the result was presented
by tables, figures and text as appropriate.
Result: Less than one-fifths 56(17.8%) with (95%CI: 13.7-22%) of the preterm neonates
admitted to NICU of AURH in between September 11/2021 to September 10/2024 were died
before their discharge from the hospital. The associated factors include being female (AOR:
2.96, 95%CI: 1.47, 5.99), vaginal delivery after induction or augmentation (AOR: 4.2, 95%CI:
1.04, 16.94), and being delivered before completing 32-weeks of gestation (AOR:4.3, 95%CI:
2.1, 9.1).
Conclusion: Considerable proportion of the preterm neonates admitted to NICU of AURH were
died before discharge. Being female, labor induction or augmentation and lower gestational age
at birth are factors associated with higher odds of neonatal death. As much as possible, more life
support measurements need to be undertaken to reduce the death of the preterm neonates
