TITLE:
Morbidity and Mortality Related to Prematurity in the Diourbel Region: A Prospective Study at the Diourbel Regional Hospital in Senegal
AUTHORS:
Sadio Konate, Aliou Mar Coundoul, Ndiogou Seck, Papa Moctar Faye
KEYWORDS:
Morbidity, Mortality, Premature Infants
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Pediatrics,
Vol.15 No.6,
November
18,
2025
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Prematurity affects approximately 15 million children worldwide each year, representing 11% of live births. It remains a major concern in developing countries. The objective of our study was to assess the morbidity and mortality associated with prematurity and to identify the various contributing factors. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective, descriptive and analytical study of 115 cases of premature infants who were admitted between July 1 and December 31, 2020, to the Pediatrics Department of the Diourbel Regional Hospital Center. We included in our study all newborns born before 37 weeks of gestation who were hospitalized in the pediatric ward. Stillborn and non-hospitalized premature infants were excluded. Data were collected using a pre-established questionnaire, and the analysis was performed using SPSS 24.0 software. Results: We had 115 premature infants from 87 pregnancies, representing 50.4% of neonatal hospitalizations. The sex ratio was 1.6, 89.6% of them were admitted on day 0 of life, and the majority of premature infants were born inborn (75.7%). The average term was 28.1 weeks of gestation and the determination of gestational age was made by late ultrasound in 62.6%. Pregnancies that were not monitored or were poorly monitored represented 10% with 0 or only 1 ANC visit. Anemia was found in 61.7%, hypertension and pre-eclampsia in 29.5%. More than a third of births were by cesarean section (31.3%) and their indications were dominated by hypertension and pre-eclampsia. An APGAR score of less than 7 at 5 minutes was found in 60% of cases, and 36.5% were resuscitated in the delivery room; respiratory distress was found in 70.4%. The average weight was 1552.7 grams. Feeding was initiated between day 0 and day 1 of life in 51.3% and was mixed in 80%. Antibiotic therapy was administered in 93% of cases. A complication was present in 95.6% of cases. The average length of hospital stay was 19.6 days. The mortality rate was 44.3%. Conclusion: Prematurity is a major public health problem. Prevention and management of prematurity require a better understanding of the risk factors.