Cause and predictors of neonatal mortality among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units of public hospitals in eastern Ethiopia: a facility-based prospective follow-up study

The proportion of facility-based neonatal deaths was unacceptably high. The main causes of death were preventable and treatable. Hence, improving the timing and quality of antenatal care is essential for early detection, anticipating high-risk newborns, and timely interventions. Furthermore, early initiation of feeding and better referral linkage to tertiary health facilities could lead to a reduction in neonatal death in this setting.