TITLE:
Audit of Neonatal Deaths at the Teaching Hospital of Parakou and in the Health Districts of the Departmental Health Directorate of Borgou from 2020 to 2025
AUTHORS:
Medetinme Gerard Kpanidja, Raïssa Sakina Aboudou, Falilatou Agbeille Mouhamed, Alphonse Noudamadjo, Julien Didier Adedemy, Joseph Agossou, Carmen Setcheme Mele, Pulcherie Gagui Agoli-Agbo, Lahanatou Seidou Bouraïma, Assanatou Soumanou Ayedegue, Nafissatou Baboni, Kadoukpe Primaelle Nelly Detongnon, Yasmine Bileoma Adebo, Rodney Frezal Sagbo Feliho, Sonia Imelda Akohohoue, Bio Samuel Sinagama, Rene Darate, Emile Cossi Kouthon, Jean Agbegbanou, Jonathan Troukou, Bilkissou Bachabi, Hadja Mouïnatou Affidji, Chantal Laurence Tigri, Senamin Suzanne Gbaguidi, Hakim Gouda, Setondji Modeste Houemenou, Eric Chede, Monloto Felicite Estelle Lydie Dedewanou, Ibrahim Mama Cisse, Virgile Olivier Hounkpe
KEYWORDS:
Audit, Mortality, Newborn, Parakou, Benin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.15 No.6,
October
31,
2025
ABSTRACT: Introduction: The objective of this study was to describe the systematic audits of neonatal deaths at the Parakou University Hospital Center and in the health districts of the Borgou department from 2020 to 2025. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in two phases. A prospective phase covering the period from 1st January to 31 May 2020, marked by a systematic analysis of neonatal deaths, and a retrospective phase that took into account the activities of the neonatal death monitoring committees of the four health districts of the Borgou Departmental Health Directorate from 1st June 2020 to 30 June 2025. It focused on newborns who died in the first phase and the work of the neonatal death surveillance committees in the health districts in the second phase. Results: In the first phase, 588 newborns were admitted from 1st January to 31 May 2020. Among them, 74 newborns died, representing a mortality rate of 12.58%. The main causes of death were neonatal infection (59.46%), prematurity (56.76%) and perinatal asphyxia (41.89%). The main problems identified in the community were delayed access to care (45.95%), poor pregnancy monitoring (35.14%) and home or on the way deliveries (13.51%). At the peripheral centers, delays in referral (35.14%), inadequate or non-existent pre-referral care (13.51%) and non-medical referral (12.16%) were identified. The main dysfunctions observed at the referral center were inadequate emergency treatment (47.30%), poorly completed medical records (37.84%) and inadequate treatment of complications (27.03%). In the second phase of the response, 55 audit committee members were trained in the strategy. The audit completion rate in the health department from 1st July 2020 to 30 June 2025 was 62.71%. Conclusion: The neonatal death audit proved to be a relevant tool for assessing the quality of care.