Exploring the Factors Associated with Birth Asphyxia among the Newborn Infants at a Rural Hospital in Bangladesh

Background: Birth asphyxia is a critical problem to address within the context of public health. There are many reasons a baby may not be able to take in enough oxygen before, during, or just after birth.

Objective: The objective of this research is to determine the risk factors that are associated with birth asphyxia in the Matlab, Hospital Bangladesh.

Methods: This is a case-control study. Cases were selected from the hospital records. A group of 94 mothers who gave live births resulting in asphyxiated new-borns during 24th October 2006 to 20th August 2008 at the labour ward of Matlab hospital, Bangladesh.

Results: Result indicates the largest group of mothers with Asphyxiated new-born between <25 years old, was 61 (35.5%) while in the control group it was 111 (64.5%). Foetal presentation was associated with birth asphyxia in new-born (OR= 15.21; 95% CI: 1.841-125.67; p= 0.001). The study shows that infant with birth weight <2500g had 3.49 times greater risk of developing birth asphyxia compared to the infant with birth weight >2500 g (CI: 1.79-6.78, p = 0.00).

Conclusions: A future community based study with larger sample size is necessary to find the temporal relationship between Birth asphyxia and cord around the neck, Gestational age at birth less than 37 weeks and prolong first stage of labour.