Factors associated with hospitalization during neonatal period

Objective

Neonatal mortality rate remains high in Brazil. The aim of the study was to evaluate the factors associated with hospitalization during the neonatal period.

Methods

Cross-sectional study conducted in ten randomly-selected Brazilian municipalities. Mothers of children under the age of 6 who were carrying the child's health booklet were interviewed in basic health units. Hierarchical modeling of sociodemographic factors (distal level), maternal variables (intermediate level), and features of the newborns (proximal level) was performed. The variables that presented a value of p ≤ 0.20 in the univariate analysis were included in the multivariate hierarchical modeling process, with block input according to their hierarchical level. The variables with a value of p ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

2022 mothers were included, allowing 258 (12.8%) cases of hospitalization during the neonatal period to be identified, of which 49.7% were male, 8.9% were premature, and 8.4% had low birth weight (<2500 g). After analysis by hierarchical approach, factors associated with neonatal hospitalization (prevalence ratio [95% CI]) included: history of prematurity (2.03 [1.25–3.30], p = 0.004), gestational risk (2.02 [1.46–2.79], p < 0.001); intrapartum risk (3.73 [2.33–5.99], p < 0.001); gestational age (32–37 weeks: 13.83 [1.74–110.09], p = 0.01; and < 32 weeks: 25.03 [3.03–207.12], p = 0.003); low birth weight (3.95 [2.56–6.09], p < 0.001), and male gender (1.44 [1.09–1.98], p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Factors associated with maternal and neonatal history are associated with neonatal hospitalization.