Abstract

Background: Birth asphyxia is failure to initiate and sustain breathing immediately after birth. According to world health organization (WHO), it is the third major cause of neonatal death after infections and Preterm births in developing countries, accounts for an estimated 23% of the annual 2.6 million neonatal deaths. Birth asphyxia is a serious clinical problem and a leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity worldwide. The majority of neonatal deaths arise in low- and middle-income countries.

Objective: To assess the magnitude of birth asphyxia and associated factors among newborns admitted in NICU at government hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2020.

Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted from September, 2020 to October, 2020. The study was conducted in Addis Ababa governmental hospitals selected by lottery method. Systematic random sampling technique was utilized to select 337 respondents. Data was collected on participants using structured questionnaires.Data were entered into Epi data entry 4.6 and exported in to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Descriptive statistics,Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were carried out. Finally findings were presented in text, tables,figures and graphs format.

Results: Of the new-borns, 19.3% had birth asphyxia, and factors associated significantly were Prolonged labour (AOR=3.32, 95% CI: 1.16 – 9.49), APH (AOR=6.28, 95% CI: 1.52–25.89), preeclampsia (AOR=4.03, 95% CI: 1.47–11.06), fetal distress (AOR=3.17, 95% CI: 1.32–7.66) and meconium stained amniotic fluid (AOR=2.68, 95% CI: 1.12–6.44)

Conclusion: Prolonged labour, APH, preeclampsia, fetal distress and Meconium stained liquor were significantly associated with birth asphyxia. Therefore, early screening and appropriate intervention during pregnancy, and intrapartum might reduce perinatal asphyxia among new-borns.