Neonatal Mortality in Rural Area in Senegal

Most newborn deaths occur in two regions of the world, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. In Senegal, much progress has been made over the past two decades with a reduction in overall infant mortality by 38%. However, the decline in neonatal mortality has been slower during the same period. The objective of this study is to assess neonatal mortality, to determine the different causes and to make recommendations for improving care in rural areas. This is a retrospective study with a descriptive and analytical aim carried out in the pediatrics department of the Diourbel regional hospital, 130 km from Dakar, the Senegalese capital, over a 12-month period from January 1 to January 31, December 2018. All newborns hospitalized in the pediatric ward during the study period were included. Overall mortality was 30.6%, newborns between 0 and 7 days accounted for 90.6% of deaths, INBORNs accounted for 62.3% of deaths. Newborns whose mother’s age was between 20 and 35 years of age accounted for 69.3% of deaths. Newborns of first-time mothers accounted for 40.2% of deaths and those of multiparous mothers 31%. Newborns who did not reach term accounted for 58.9% of deaths. Newborns admitted for respiratory distress represented the majority of deaths 45.5% (n = 93) followed by those with low birth weight 32.5 (n = 65) followed by those with neurological manifestations 30.5 (n = 62). Conclusion: Neonatal mortality is very high in the Diourbel region and the main cause is the lack of human resources and a very insufficient technical platform. The fight against this mortality involves improving the technical platform and recruiting sufficient and well-trained staff.