Risk Factors for Death in Premature Newborns at the Ouahigouya Regional Teaching Hospital in Burkina Faso

Introduction: Prematurity is a real public health problem in developing countries. The objective of this study was to investigate the risk factors for death in premature newborns in a pediatric ward. Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study with descriptive and analytical aims that took place over a period of 12 months. It involved all hospitalized newborns. The data were entered and analyzed using Epi info 7.2.3.1 2019 software and exported to Excel 2016. Results: The hospital prevalence of prematurity was 20.75%. The average age of the mothers was 24 years (range 15-41). 89.59% of the mothers were housewives. 253 women (94.05%) had at least one prenatal consultation during the pregnancy. The mortality rate was 44.37%. Among deceased newborns, mortality was significantly related to gestational age, birth weight, score, and the presence of a complication. There was a statistically significant relationship between neonatal mortality and certain maternal characteristics: pregnancy monitoring, place and mode of delivery. Conclusion: Improving the management of prematurity should be based on better consideration of the risk factors associated with mortality.