Verbal autopsy of neonatal and infant deaths from Bhavnagar rural and comparison with recent data

Authors

  • Rajesh B. Patel Department of Pediatrics, Government Medical College, Sir T. G. Hospital, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
  • Hinal A. Sinol Department of Pediatrics, Government Medical College, Sir T. G. Hospital, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
  • Sonal V. Jindal Department of Pediatrics, Government Medical College, Sir T. G. Hospital, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India
  • Jayendra R. Gohil Department of Pediatrics, Government Medical College, Sir T. G. Hospital, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5877-0567

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20205721

Keywords:

Bhavnagar, Infant death, Neonatal death, Rural community, Verbal autopsy

Abstract

Background: Infant deaths from Bhavnagar rural areas were studied by using a verbal autopsy tool.

Methods: Community visit based retrospective study of Bhavnagar rural by WHO verbal autopsy questionnaire.

Results: Of the 92 deaths analyzed, 59 % (early), 12% (late), and 29% were during the post neonatal period. Male deaths were 55 (60%). The most common immediate causes were infection (39%), birth asphyxia (23%), and hyaline membrane disease (15%). Underlying causes were: maternal illness with feeding problem (45%), prematurity (26%), meconium aspiration syndrome (9%), and congenital/genetic anomalies (10%). Infant and neonatal deaths were seen more with illiteracy of mother, age of mother (25-29 years), third parity, anemia, and vaginal discharge; and non-breastfed, low birth weight and preterm. Birth asphyxia and hyaline membrane disease were during early, and meningitis and pneumonia were after the neonatal period. Verbal autopsy was accurate in 18/23 (78%) of the facility-based deaths where the cause of death was available. Ethics approval was obtained.

Conclusions: Reproductive health education to adolescent girls and mothers, regarding the treatment of fever, vaginal discharge; and breastfeeding counselling with vitamin B12 should be used as more infant deaths are associated with anemia of mother. Health workers should be skilled in neonatal resuscitation, prematurity management, and referral, after stabilization, identification of congenital anomaly, antenatal screening by USG, and neonatal metabolic screen. Recent 2018 data obtained from Bhavnagar District Health Authority shows that over a period of eight years, institutional deliveries have increased and home deliveries, early neonatal deaths, HMD, and septicemia have decreased. Perinatal care should be check-list based, monitored, and mentored.

Author Biography

Jayendra R. Gohil, Department of Pediatrics, Government Medical College, Sir T. G. Hospital, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India

Professor, Pediatrics department

References

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The state of the world's children 2012: children in an urban world. New York: UNICEF. Available from: www.unicef.org/sowc2012/pdfs/SOWC-2012-Main-Report_EN_21Dec2011.pdf. 2012.

Revu S, Kodali VR, Dongabanti HD. Impact of JSSK scheme on institutional deliveries and maternal mortality rate: Visakhapatnam district Andhra Pradesh. Int J Res Med Sci. 2017;6(1):160-6.

Bhasin SK, Pant M. Reporting system for cause of death in India (Major findings) and recent incorporation of verbal autopsy method in sample registration system: A powerful tool for reliable mortality information. J For Med Toxicol. 2003;20(2):19-22.

Anker M, Black R, Coldham C, Kalter HD, Quigley MA, Ross D, et al. A standard verbal autopsy method for investigating causes of death in infants and children. Geneva, WHO, 1999. Available from: who.int/csr/resources/publications/surveillance/whocdscsrisr994.pdf. Accessed on 02 August 2018.

Aggarwal AK, Kumar P, Pandit S, Kumar R. Accuracy of WHO verbal autopsy tool in determining major causes of neonatal deaths in India. PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e54865.

Rathod S, Singh MP, Damor R, Jankar D, Gosalia V, Patel H, et al. Socio-Demographic Profile of Infant Mortality by Verbal Autopsy in Urban Area of Bhavnagar, Gujarat. National J Community Med. 2011;2(3):335-9.

Aggarwal AK, Kumar R, Kumar P. Early neonatal mortality in a hilly north Indian state: Socio-demographic factors and treatment seeking behavior. Indian J Prev Soc Med. 2003;34:46-52.

Katz J, West Jr KP, Khatry SK, Christian P, LeClerq SC, Pradhan EK. Risk factors for early infant mortality in Sarlahi district, Nepal. Bull World Health Organ. 2003;81:717-25.

IIPS MI, Macro OR. National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), 2005-2006. Mumbai: IIPS. 2007. Available from: https://dhsprogram.com/pubs/ pdf/frind3/frind3-vol1andvol2.pdf.

Kameswaran C, Bhatia BD, Bhat BV, Oumachigui A. Perinatal mortality: a hospital based study. Indian Pediatr. 1993;30(8):997-1001.

Vaid A, Mammen A, Primrose B, Kang G. Infant mortality in an urban slum. Indian J Pediatr. 2007;74(5):449-53.

Soudarssanane MB, Srinivasa DK, Narayan KA, Ramalingam G. Infant mortality in Pondicherry--an analysis of a cohort of 8185 births. Indian Pediatr. 1992;29(11):1379-84.

Pratinidhi A, Shah U, Shrotri A, Risk-approach strategy in neonatal care. Bull World Health Organ. 1986;64(2):291-7.

Park K. Preventive Medicine in Obstetrics, Pediatrics and Geriatrics; Indicators of MCH care. In: Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine. 20/E. Banarsidas Bhanot: Jabalpur; 2009:479-82.

Downloads

Published

2020-12-25

How to Cite

Patel, R. B., Sinol, H. A., Jindal, S. V., & Gohil, J. R. (2020). Verbal autopsy of neonatal and infant deaths from Bhavnagar rural and comparison with recent data. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 8(1), 351–358. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20205721

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles