Epidemiology of neonatal tetanus in the Rivers State of Nigeria: a community based study.

Globally, over 1 000 000 new cases of neonatal tetanus occur annually. About 75% of these babies die, most of them in countries of the third world.' Data from Nigeria are largely hospital based, but case fatality rates currently are approximately 50%.23 However, in one community based study, the mortality rate was 11.9 per 1000 live births.4 In the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, over 50 new cases are still seen annually, despite the fact that a comprehensive immunisation schedule was launched in the country in 1984. This study aimed to estimate the true mortality from neonatal tetanus in the community and to assess the tetanus toxoid vaccine coverage status of parturient women.