Abstract:
Objective: Neonatal sepsis is a global public health concern in general and causes a massive burden in developing
countries particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Though it is mostly preventable, neonatal sepsis remained the leading
cause of mortality in developing countries. This study was conducted to determine the current proportion and identify
factors associated with neonatal sepsis to suggest directions.
Results: In this study 504 randomly selected neonatal charts were reviewed. The proportion of overall neonatal sepsis
was 63.69% (95% CI 59.38, 67.79), where early-onset sepsis was 59.33% (95% CI 54.96, 63.55) and late-onset sepsis
was 4.17% (95% CI 2.73, 6.31). Maternal intra-partum fever, season of birth and admission, vaginal mode of delivery
and preterm gestational age at birth increased the likelihood of overall and early-onset neonatal sepsis. In conclusion
of this study, neonatal sepsis remaining the leading cause of morbidity among younger infants. Intra-partum conditions
were major contributors to neonatal sepsis. Thus, providing emphasis on associated factors in particular and
universal safe obstetric care in general is recommended.
