Determinants of Birth Asphyxia At Public Hospitals in Ilu Aba Bor Zone Southwest, Ethiopia: A Case Control Study

Abstract Despite birth asphyxia is one of the important causes of morbidity and mortality in newborn; its determinants were not investigated according to local context especially in this area. Thus, this study aims to investigate the determinants of birth asphyxia at Illu Aba Bor zone public health facilities. Study Design: An Institution based a case-control study. Methods: Systematic random sampling technique was used to select 308 (103 cases and 205 controls) newborn. Data were collected using checklist for record review & interviewer administered questionnaire and entered in to Epi-data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 24. Variables with P-value <0.25 were taken to multi-variable regression. Backward likelihood ratio with 0.1 probability removal was used to develop the model. Collinearity, goodness fit of final model using Hosmer Lemeshow test considering good fit at P-value ≥ 0.05 (0.208), omnibus likelihood test <0.05(0.000) and model classification of accuracy (77.9%) were checked. Odds Ratio estimated with 95% CI was used to show strength of association and P-value < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Results: A total of 308 (103 cases and 205 controls) mothers of newborns were interviewed yielding a response rate of 100%. The mean age (±Standard deviation) of mothers for the cases and the controls were 25.97 (SD: ±4.47) and 25.52(SD: ±4.17), respectively. Being not educated (non-formal education) [AOR=2.44; (95%CI:1.37, 4.34)], having antenatal care follow up <4 [AOR=2.30; (95% CI:1.17, 4.53)], Prolonged duration of labour [AOR=4.12; (95% CI:1.78, 9.50)], non-cephalic fetal presentation [AOR=4.35; (95%CI:1.77, 10.67)] and being primi-gravida [AOR=2.14; (95%CI:1.20, 3.83)] were the predictors of birth asphyxia. Whereas, neonatal factor such as: being preterm [AOR=5.77; (l95%:2.62, 12.69)] and low birth weight [AOR=4.43; (95% CI: 1.94, 10.13)] were also the predictors of birth asphyxia Conclusion: Predictors were maternal and newborn related characteristics. Therefore, interventions focusing in this area should give priority for these identified determinants.