Neonatal mortality: risk factors in south of Brazil

Abstract

 The purpose of this study was identifying the risk factors for the neonatal mortality, in the Municipal district of Maringá-PR in the years 2003 and 2004. It was a transversal study, with secondary data obtained from the Live Newborn System of Information and System of Information of Mortality. The study population was of 8.285 live newborn, being 56 neonatal deaths. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the neonatal obstetric and maternal variables were accomplished. Associations to the neonatal mortality such as birth weight, gestation length, Apgar at the first and fifth minutes of life, malformation/abnormality, childbirth type, number of prenatal care visits and mother's age were presented. In the multivariated analysis, the variables that confirmed to be of risk factors were gestation length, birth weight, Apgar at the first and fifth minutes of life, and malformation/abnormality. These results indicate that the health professionals need review the meaning and reflect upon the practices of attendance provided to the pregnant women, parturients, and newborns during pregnancy, labor and conception.   

Key words: Neonatal mortality; Risk factor; Probability.