Study identifies risk factors associated with neonatal deaths in Nigeria

As Nigeria continues to have one of the highest rates of neonatal deaths in Africa, a new study has identified risk factors associated with neonatal deaths in Nigeria using the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).

The study was published in BMC Public Health and carried out by Osita Kingsley Ezeh, Kingsley Emwinyore Agho, Michael John Dibley, John Hall and Andrew Nicholas Page

The study revealed that a higher birth order of newborns with a short birth interval (2yrs) and newborns with a higher birth order with a longer birth interval (more than 2yrs) were significantly associated with neonatal mortality.

Other significant factors that affected neonatal deaths included neonates born to mothers younger than 20 years, neonates born to mothers residing in rural areas compared with urban residents, gender not favoring male neonates, mothers who perceived their neonate's body size to be smaller than the average size, and mothers who delivered their neonates by caesarean section.

"Our study suggests that the Nigerian government needs to invest more in the healthcare system to ensure quality care for women and newborns. Community-based intervention is also required and should focus on child spacing, childbearing at a younger age, and poverty eradication programs, particularly in rural areas, to reduce avoidable neonatal deaths in Nigeria," the researchers said.

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