Birth trauma among live born term neonates at a referral hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

OBJECTIVE: To assess the occurrence, risk factors and outcomes of mechanical birth injuries among live term neonates. METHODS: A two-year retrospective case control study (September 2000-August 2002) was conducted in a referral hospital in Addis Ababa. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty cases and 358 controls were studied. Subgaleal hemorrhage was the commonest birth injury (61%). Primiparity, vacuum delivery, forceps delivery and birth weight > 3.5 kilograms were found to be strongly associated with birth trauma. Infants with subgaleal hemorrhage were more likely to be complicated than infants with other mechanical birth injuries. CONCLUSION: Indications and benefits of instrumntal delivery should be revised in our circumstances and prim gravid mothers should be evaluated carefully during ANC follow-up.