Time to recovery of asphyxiated neonates and its predictors among newborns admitted to neonatal intensive care unit at Debre Berhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital: retrospective cohort

BackgroundEven though there have been inquiries into the survival rates of asphyxiated neonates in Africa, there is scarce data concerning the recovery duration for asphyxiated newborns in developing nations and the factors affecting this process. Consequently, the objective of this study is to ascertain the time it takes for asphyxiated neonates to recover and identify its predictors. MethodsConducting a retrospective follow-up investigation, the study took place at Debre Berhan Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from January 1st, 2020 to December 31st 2022, involving a sample size of 330. The analysis included the computation of the Kaplan-Meier survival curve, the log-rank test, and the median time. Additionally, a multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression model was employed to determine the survival status. Resultsin this study, among the 330 participants (100%), a total of 270(81.8%) successfully survived throughout the entire cohort. Predictors are independent of each other, affecting the time to recovery and survival of asphyxiated neonates, encompassed prolonged labor (AHR: 0.42, 95%CI:0.21-0.81), normal birth weight (AHR:2.21, 95% CI: 1.30-3.70),non-altered consciousness (AHR:2.52, CI:1.50-4.24), non-depressed moro reflex of the newborn (AHR:2.40, 95%CI: 1.03-5.61), stage I HIE (AHR: 5.11, 95% CI: 1.98-13.19), and direct oxygen administration via the nose (AHR: 4.18, 95% CI: 2.21-7.89). ConclusionThe duration for recovery seems to be slightly prolonged in comparison to other research findings. This underscores the significance of vigilant monitoring, early preventive interventions, and swift actions to avert the progression of infants to the most severe stage of HIE.