Causes of Neonatal Mortality in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Taleghani Hospital

Background: Neonatal survival is one of the most important challenges today. Over 99% of neonatal mortalities occur in the developing countries, and epidemiologic studies emphasize on this issue in the developed countries, as well. In this study, we attempted to investigate the causes of neonatal mortality in Taleghani Hospital, Tabriz, Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we studied causes of neonatal mortality in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of Taleghani Hospital, Tabriz, Iran, during 2013-2014. Data collection was performed by the head nurse and treating physician using a pre-designed questionnaire. Most of the data were extracted from the neonatal records. Information regarding maternal underlying diseases and health care during pregnancy was extracted from mothers records. Results: A total of 891 neonates were admitted to NICU of Taleghani Hospital of Tabriz, Iran, during 2013-2014, 68 (7.5%) of whom died. Among these cases, 37 (%54.4) were male, 29 (29.4%) were extremely low birth weight, and 16 (23.5%) weighed more than 2.5 kg. The main causes of mortality were congenital anomalies (35.3%), prematurity (26.5%), and sepsis (10.3%), respectively. Conclusion: Congenital anomaly is the most common cause of mortality, and the pattern of death is changing from preventable diseases to unavoidable mortalities.