Impact of universal immunization programme on the incidence of tetanus neonatorum.

The standard WHO cluster sampling technique was applied to 30 randomly selected villages covering a population of 89,470 and 2010 live births in Jasra Community Development Block with a population of 123,000 distributed in 123 villages and 27 subcenters. In each cluster, 67 mothers were interviewed who gave birth between March 1989 and April 1990. Immunization history of tetanus toxoid given during the antenatal period and the delivery was recorded by 2 teams. There were 49 neonatal deaths: 30 (61.2%) were caused by tetanus neonatorum, 10 (30.4%) died of high fever of undetermined etiology, 5 (10.2%) of pneumonia, 3 (6.1%) of diarrhea, and there was 1 case of death of undetermined cause. The tetanus neonatorum rate was 18.7/1000 live births. 93% of the births were assisted by family members and untrained dais, and 2.4% by trained traditional birth attendants. In 69 deliveries (3.4%), a doctor was called, while in 24 cases a multipurpose female worker assisted. 46.7% of neonates with tetanus were brought to the district hospital for treatment, the rest were either taken to private practitioners or to traditional healers. 1336 (66.5%) of 2010 mothers interviewed had not received tetanus toxoid, 359 (17.8%) had received only 1 dose of toxoid, and 315 (15.7%) had been immunized with 2 doses. The mothers of 27 (90.0%) of those 30 neonates who died of tetanus had not received a dose of toxoid during the antenatal period, whereas 3 mothers obtained only 1 dose. None of the newborn of mothers immunized with 2 doses during pregnancy contracted tetanus. 61% of the neonatal deaths were attributed to tetanus. The causes of neonatal tetanus include unhygienic cutting of the cord and lack of immunization of mothers with tetanus toxoid during pregnancy. The administration of 2 doses of antenatal tetanus toxoid and health education regarding the importance of conducting hygienic deliveries could eliminate this disease.