Neonatal near miss: a systematic review

Development and validation of a prognosis risk score model for neonatal mortality in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

A neonatal mortality prediction score can assist clinicians in making timely clinical decisions to save neonates' lives by facilitating earlier admissions where needed. It can also help reduce unnecessary admissions.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to develop and validate a prognosis risk score for neonatal mortality within 28 days in public hospitals in the Amhara region, Ethiopia.

METHODS

The model was developed using a validated neonatal near miss assessment scale and a prospective cohort of 365 near-miss neonates in six hospitals between July 2021 and January 2022. The model's accuracy was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve, calibration belt, and the optimism statistic. Internal validation was performed using a 500-repeat bootstrapping technique. Decision curve analysis was used to evaluate the model's clinical utility.

RESULTS

In total, 63 of the 365 neonates died, giving a neonatal mortality rate of 17.3% (95% CI: 13.7-21.5). Six potential predictors were identified and included in the model: anemia during pregnancy, pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational age less than 37 weeks, birth asphyxia, 5 min Apgar score less than 7, and birth weight less than 2500 g. The model's AUC was 84.5% (95% CI: 78.8-90.2). The model's predictive ability while accounting for overfitting via internal validity was 82%. The decision curve analysis showed higher clinical utility performance.

CONCLUSION

The neonatal mortality predictive score could aid in early detection, clinical decision-making, and, most importantly, timely interventions for high-risk neonates, ultimately saving lives in Ethiopia.

Concept analysis of Neonatal Near Miss

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the concept of Neonatal Near Miss (NNM) using Walker and Avant's method.

METHOD

This study employs conceptual analysis following Walker and Avant's model, involving concept selection, objective definition, identification of potential uses, determination of attributes, model case creation, additional case consideration, antecedent identification, consequent analysis, and empirical reference examination. To elucidate the concept, a scoping review was conducted across journals indexed in scientific databases such as Web of Science, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and MEDLINE/PubMed.

RESULTS

The analysis encompassed 43 articles, revealing diverse definitions of neonatal near miss across different contexts. A comprehensive definition emerged from identified antecedents: risk of death, susceptibility to adverse outcomes, and potential adverse events. These antecedents were categorized into maternal conditions, neonatal conditions, and healthcare assistance.

CONCLUSION

The analysis and definition of the NNM concept was successful, and its antecedents, attributes, and consequences were delineated.

IMPLICATIONS

Identifying the risk factors associated with NNM cases may contribute to reducing infant morbidity and mortality and improving the quality of care, facilitating future research and improving the use of the NNM concept.

Incidence of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes among Women Exposed to Maternal Near-Misses in Arsi Zone in Ethiopia: Prospective Cohort Study in 2022

Background

Exposure to maternal near-misses has a massive effect on adverse perinatal outcomes. Hence, investigating the effect of maternal near-misses on perinatal outcomes can aid in the reduction of perinatal morbidity and mortality. The study is aimed at assessing the incidence of adverse perinatal outcomes among women exposed to maternal near-misses at Arsi Zone public hospitals in Ethiopia in 2022.

Method

The study included a prospective cohort of 335 women at Arsi Zone public hospitals from December 2021 to June 2022. Women who were admitted for management of pregnancy were followed. The exposed group was women with maternal near-misses screened based on disease-validated criteria. The nonexposed group was made up of women who delivered without complications. Trained data collectors used pretested, structured questionnaires to collect data from women. Pertinent data was also extracted from the clients' logbooks. Data was transferred from EpiData version 3.1 to SPSS version 25 for analysis, logistic regression was computed, and 95% confidence intervals were declared at a p value of 5% significance level.

Result

The incidence of adverse perinatal outcomes was higher in the exposed women than in the nonexposed women (56% versus 16%). Contrasted with the nonexposed, women exposed to maternal near-misses had a higher incidence of stillbirth (22% vs. 0.5%), low birth weight (13% vs. 3%), and preterm birth (12% vs. 2%). After adjusting for confounders, exposed women had a twofold increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes compared to nonexposed women. Delivery mode, delay in seeking care, transport mode, and delay in receiving treatment were the risk factors for negative pregnancy outcomes.

Conclusion

In exposed women, a higher incidence of adverse perinatal outcomes was linked to aforementioned risk factors. Evidence-based practice intended to decrease delays in providing maternal care services does indeed improve perinatal outcomes.

Unveiling the strong positive relationship: Maternal characteristics and neonatal outcomes in the Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD) study - a secondary analysis validating neonatal near miss classification

Background

The near miss concept, denoting near collisions between aircraft, originated in aeronautics, but has recently been transferred to the neonatal context as a way of evaluating the quality of health services for newborns, especially in settings with reduced child mortality. However, there is yet no consensus regarding the underlying criteria. The most common indicators used to assess health care quality include mortality (maternal and neonatal) and life-threatening conditions. Using the World Health Organization (WHO) Better Outcomes in Labour Difficulty (BOLD) prospective cohort study data set, we conducted a secondary analysis to validate the near miss concept and explore the association between maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Methods

We studied 10 203 singleton mothers treated between December 2014 and November 2015 in nine Nigerian and four Ugandan hospitals. We validated the near miss concept by testing the diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and odds ratio (OR)) using death as the reference variable and calculating the maternal and neonatal case fatality rates. We performed ordinal and binomial logistic regression, with the independent variables being those that had P < 0.1 in the univariate analyses. We considered the significance level of 5%.

Results

We validated the neonatal near miss concept using the BOLD study data. We observed maternal and neonatal case fatality rates of 70.2% and 6.5%, with an increasing severity relationship between maternal and neonatal outcomes (P < 0.05). Ordinal logistic regression showed that gestational age <37 or >41 weeks and <8 antenatal consultations were related to a higher risk of neonatal severe outcomes, while maternal age between 30 and 34 years functioned as a protective factor against severe neonatal outcomes (SNO). Binomial logistic regression showed gestational age <37(OR = 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07-1.94) or >41 weeks (OR = 2.26; 95% CI = 1.55-3.20), low educational level (OR = 1.76; 95% CI = 1.12-2.69), overweight/obesity (OR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.02-1.47), one previous cesarean section (OR = 1.90; 95% CI = 1.36-2.61), one previous abortion (OR = 1.25; 95% CI = 1.00-1.56), and previous chronic condition (OR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.37-2.41) were risk factors for SNO.

Conclusions

The neonatal near miss concept could be used as a parameter for analysis in different health systems, to ensure that measuring of neonatal severity is comparable across health care units. In this analysis, we observed a progressive association between maternal severity and the severity of the newborns' outcomes.

Near miss neonatal in the capital of the Brazilian Midwest: a case-control study

We aimed to analyze factors associated with neonatal near-miss in Cuiabá, State of Mato Grosso, Brazil by performing a case-control study of live births in a capital city of central-western Brazil from January 2015 to December 2018 that included 931 cases and 1,862 controls. Data were obtained from the Live Births Information System and the Mortality Information System and variables were organized according to the hierarchical model. Association was analyzed by logistic regression with a 5% significance level. Data were expressed as crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) and respective confidence intervals (95%CI). The following factors were associated with neonatal near miss: mothers with two (OR = 1.63; 95%CI: 1.01-2.63) or three or more previous pregnancies (OR=1.87; 95%CI: 1.09-3.21), without any live children (OR = 2.57; 95%CI: 1.56-4.24 ) or one live child at birth (OR = 1.53; 95%CI: 1.04-2.26), multiple pregnancy (OR = 4.57; 95%CI: 2.95-7.07), fewer than six prenatal consultations (OR = 2.20; 95%CI: 1.77-2.72), whose deliveries took place in public/university hospitals (OR = 2.25; 95%CI: 1.60-3.15) or philanthropic hospitals (OR = 1.62; 95%CI: 1.16-2.26), with non-cephalic presentation (OR = 2.71 95%CI: 1.87-3.94) and uninduced labor (OR = 1.47; 95%CI: 1.18-1.84).

Neonatal near-miss audits: a systematic review and a call to action

BACKGROUND

Neonatal near-miss (NNM) can be considered as an end of a spectrum that includes stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Clinical audits of NNM might reduce perinatal adverse outcomes. The aim of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of NNM audits for reducing perinatal mortality and morbidity and explore related contextual factors.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, LILACS and SciELO were searched in February/2023. Randomized and observational studies of NNM clinical audits were included without restrictions on setting, publication date or language.

PRIMARY OUTCOMES

perinatal mortality, morbidity and NNM.

SECONDARY OUTCOMES

factors contributing to NNM and measures of quality of care. Study characteristics, methodological quality and outcome were extracted and assessed by two independent reviewers. Narrative synthesis was performed.

RESULTS

Of 3081 titles and abstracts screened, 36 articles had full-text review. Two studies identified, rated, and classified contributing care factors and generated recommendations to improve the quality of care. No study reported the primary outcomes for the review (change in perinatal mortality, morbidity and NNM rates resulting from an audit process), thus precluding meta-analysis. Three studies were multidisciplinary NNM audits and were assessed for additional contextual factors.

CONCLUSION

There was little data available to determine the effectiveness of clinical audits of NNM. While trials randomised at patient level to test our research question would be difficult or unethical for both NNM and perinatal death audits, other strategies such as large, well-designed before-and-after studies within services or comparisons between services could contribute evidence. This review supports a Call to Action for NNM audits. Adoption of formal audit methodology, standardised NNM definitions, evaluation of parent's engagement and measurement of the effectiveness of quality improvement cycles for improving outcomes are needed.

Prevalence of neonatal near miss in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Neonatal near miss (NNM) applies to cases where newborns almost died during the first 28 d of life but survived life-threatening conditions following birth. The most vulnerable time for infant survival is the neonatal stage, corresponding to almost 50% of deaths occurring at <5 y of age. No study indicates the overall pooled prevalence of NNM in Africa. Thus this review aimed to estimate the overall pooled prevalence of NNMs in Africa.

METHODS

Articles were retrieved through a comprehensive search strategy using PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative, Cochrane Library and Google Search. Data extraction was done independently by all authors. Forest plots and tables were used to represent the original data. The statistical heterogeneity was evaluated using I2 statistics. There was heterogeneity between the included articles. Therefore the authors used a meta-analysis of random effects to estimate the aggregate pooled prevalence of NNM in Africa. Funnel plot and Egger regression test methods were used to assess possible publication bias. R software version 3.5.3 and R studio version 1.2.5003 were used to analyse the data. The guideline of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses was used to publish this article. The review was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration ID: CRD42021290223).

RESULTS

Through an exhaustive search, we found 835 articles. However, we considered only eight full-text articles to be included in this meta-analysis. The analysis of included studies showed that the overall pooled prevalence of NNM in Africa was 30% (95% confidence interval [CI] 16 to 44). The subgroup analysis by study year showed that the prevalence of NNM from 2012-2015 and 2018-2019 was 36% (95% CI 23 to 49) and 20% (95% CI 1 to 39), respectively.

CONCLUSION

This finding suggests that the pooled prevalence of NNM is high in Africa as compared with other studies. Therefore the government and other stakeholders working on maternal and child health should assist in the design of interventions and strategies for improving the quality of neonatal care.

Factors associated with neonatal near miss: Case of the University Hospital Center IbnSina of Rabat Morocco 2021

OBJECTIVES

Analogous to the Near Miss Maternal approach, the concept of Near Miss Neonatal (NNM) is an approach recently developed to identify newborns who survive near-fatal complications during the first 28 days of ectopic life. The objective of this study is to shed light on the cases of Neonatal Near Miss and identify its factors associated with live births.

METHODS

A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted to identify factors associated with Neonatal Near Miss in newborns admitted to the National Reference Center in Neonatology in Rabat, Morocco from January 1 to December 31, 2021. A pre-tested, structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. These data were entered using Epi Data software and exported to SPPS23 for analysis. To identify the determinants of the outcome variable, binary multivariable logistic regression was used.

RESULTS

Among the 2676 selected live births, 2367 (88.5% ; 95% CI: 88.3-90.7)) were cases of NNM. Factors in women which were significant predictors of NNM included being referred from other health care facilities [AOR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.39-2.50], residing in a rural area [AOR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.82-3.10], having less than four prenatal visits [AOR: 3.17; 95% CI: 2.06-4.86], and having gestational hypertension [AOR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.24-3.30].

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed a high proportion of NNM cases in the study area. The factors associated with NNM which were found to increase these cases demonstrates the primary health care program must be further improved to avoid preventable causes of neonatal mortality.

The Prevalence of Neonatal Near Misses in Rabat, Morocco

BACKGROUND

The concept of near-miss neonatal (NMN) is a potentially useful approach in assessing the quality of newborn care. However, data collected on the status of NMN cases in Morocco is scarce.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of NMN cases among live births at the University Hospital of Rabat, Morocco.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 2676 newborns born at the University Hospital of Rabat, Morocco, and admitted to the National Reference Center of Neonatology and Nutrition (NRCN) from January 1 to December 31, 2021. The main inclusion criteria were the pragmatic and/or management markers of the definition of NMN. Data were extracted using a structured, pre-tested checklist, entered into EpiData, and exported to Statistical Software for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), and descriptive statistics were performed.

RESULTS

Among the 2676 selected live births, 2367 were NMN cases (88.5%; 95% CI: 88.3-90.7). More than half of new mothers (57.5%) were referrals, 59.9% of women were multiparous, and 78.5% had under four prenatal care consultations. Obstetric problems affected 373 of the women during pregnancy. A pragmatic criterion was met in 43.6% of NMN situations. Among the management criteria, the use of intravenous antibiotics was the most common factor at 56.0%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed a high prevalence of NMN. Therefore, concerted efforts are needed to improve maternal health care services, including early identification of complications and appropriate management.

Valid and reliable neonatal near-miss assessment scale in Ethiopia: a psychometric validation

Background

The concept of a neonatal near miss is used to explain neonates who nearly died but survived a life-threatening complication in the first 28 days of life. We have left many ill surviving (near-miss) neonates, due to a lack of valid and reliable assessment scale, particularly in Ethiopia.

Aim

We aim to psychometrically validate the neonatal near-miss assessment scale (NNMAS) for Ethiopia.

Methods

A total of 465 live birth neonates were included with the assumption of a participant-to-item ratio of 15:1. A new contextually validated NNMAS was used to collect data. The Kaiseri––Mayer––Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy with a cutoff value of ≥0.50 for each item was applied. For reliability and validity of NNMAS, exploratory factor analysis using principal component analysis with oblique varimax rotation was used. Internal consistency and reliability were assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Convergent and discriminant validity was assessed using composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE).

Results

The Kaiser––Mayer––Olkin (KMO = 0.74) measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s Sphericity test for the appropriateness of the identity matrix (χ² = 2903.9, df = 276, and P = 0.000) were suitable for exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The correlation matrix determinant of the study was 0.002. The principal component analysis (PCA) identified six factors and together explained 54.3% of the variation in the Neonatal Near miss. The Cronbach-alpha coefficient was 0.80 for the entire scale. The composite reliability values of the factors ranged from 0.87 to 0.95. The AVEs, CR, and factor loadings were above 0.5 for all factors indicating that convergent validity was met. The square roots of the AVEs were greater than factor correlation values. It was revealed that discriminated validity was also met.

Conclusion

The neonatal near-miss assessment scale was found to be valid and reliable in the present context. The scale can be used to identify near-miss neonates in Ethiopia.

Determinants of neonatal near-miss among neonates delivered in public hospitals of Ilu Abba Bor Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: An unmatched case-control study during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background

The neonatal period is the time with the highest risk of neonatal and infant mortality. The COVID-19 pandemic diverted resources from routine maternal health services, which raises the possibility of neonatal near misses (NNMs). To implement prompt treatments that could improve the standard of infant care and lower neonatal mortality, it has been theorized that pinpointing the determinants of NNM during this outbreak is crucial. In light of this, the current study identified the determinants of NNM in neonates delivered in public hospitals of Ilu Abba Bor Zone, South West Ethiopia.

Methods

An institution-based unmatched case-control study was conducted among randomly selected 303 (101 cases and 202 controls) neonates admitted to Mettu Karl Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (MKCSH) and Darimu Primary Hospital (DPH) from 1 November to 28 December 2020. Data were collected using interviewer-administered structured questionnaire and checklist. The collected data were coded and entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and then exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) along with a 95% confidence interval was used to assess the strength of the association, and a p-value < 0.05 was considered to declare the statistical significance in the multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Result

A total of 303 (101 cases and 202 controls) neonates admitted to MKCSH and DPH were included in the study making a 97.4% response rate. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, no formal maternal education [AOR = 3.534, 95% CI: (1.194-10.455)], Breech presentation during birth [AOR = 3.088, 95% CI: (1.029-9.268)], < 4 antenatal care (ANC) visits [AOR = 1.920, 95% CI: (1.065-3.461], cesarean section delivery [AOR = 4.347, 95% CI: (1.718-10.996)], antepartum hemorrhage (APH) [AOR = 3.37, 95% CI: (1.23-9.24)], and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) [AOR = 4.05, 95% CI: (2.36-11.05)] were independent determinants of NNM.

Conclusion

The study's result revealed that factors such as education level, birth presentation, ANC visit, mode of delivery, APH, and HDP continued to be important determinants of the NNM in Ethiopia during this pandemic. Therefore, much work is needed to improve neonatal health by providing adequate ANC services and other identified potential determinant factors that predispose the newborn to life-threatening (near-miss) conditions especially during this pandemic.

Factors associated with neonatal near miss among neonates admitted to public hospitals in dire Dawa administration, Eastern Ethiopia: A case-control study

Introduction

The neonatal near-miss cases are subject to factors that are major causes of early neonatal deaths. For every death, more newborns suffer a life-threatening complication. Nearly 98% of neonatal death unduly existed in developing countries. Though there were few prior studies in other regions, they failed in identifying the factors of NNM. Besides, there has been no prior study in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess factors associated with neonatal near-miss.

Methods

A case-control study was employed on a total of 252 cases and 756 controls using a systematic random sampling technique. Data were collected using pre-tested and interview administered questionnaires adapted from similar studies and medical records from December 2020 –March 2021. Pragmatic and management criteria definition of neonatal near miss were utilized. Epi-Data version 3.1 and SPSS version 23 were used for data entry and analysis respectively. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were done to identify factors associated with a neonatal near-miss by using COR and AOR with a 95% confidence interval. Finally, the statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05.

Results

There were a response rate of 100% for both cases, and controls. Factors that affects neonatal near miss were non-governmental/private employee (AOR, 1.72[95%CI: 1.037, 2.859]), referral in (AOR, 1.51[95%CI: 1.079, 2.108]), multiple birth (AOR, 2.50[95%CI: 1.387, 4.501]), instrumental assisted delivery (AOR, 4.11[95%CI: 1.681, 10.034]), hypertensive during pregnancy (AOR, 3.32[95%CI: 1.987, 5.530]), and male neonates (AOR, 1.71[95%CI: 1.230, 2.373]), paternal education of secondary school (AOR, 0.43[95%CI: 0.210, 0.868]) and college/above (AOR, 0.25[95%CI: 0.109, 0.578]), monthly income (1500–3500 birr) (AOR, 0.29[95%CI: 0.105, 0.809]) and >3500 birr (AOR, 0.34[95%CI: 0.124, 0.906]).

Conclusion

Maternal occupation, paternal education, income, referral, multiple births, mode of delivery, hypertension during pregnancy, and sex of the neonate have identified factors with neonatal near-miss. Better to create job opportunities, improving education, and income generation. Counseling on multiple birth and hypertension, and minimizing instrumental delivery should be done at the health facility level.

Knowledge and practice of essential newborn care and associated factors among women in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

In developing countries, including Ethiopia the risk of neonatal death can be easily prevented and avoided by implementing essential newborn care with simple, low cost, and a short period time immediately after delivery. However, the problem is still persisting due to lack of adequate maternal and newborn care practice. Hence, this review aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of women’s knowledge and practice of essential newborn care and its associated factors in Ethiopia using systematic review and meta-analysis.

Method

An intensive literature search was performed from PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, HINARI, Scopus, and Web of Sciences from April 1–30, 2021. Data were extracted by using a pre-tested and standardized data extraction format. The data were analyzed by using STATA 14 statistical software. I² tests assessed heterogeneity across the included studies. A random-effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of knowledge and practice of essential newborn care.

Results

From 1275 identified studies, 25 articles were included. The national pooled prevalence of essential newborn care knowledge and practice among women was 55.05% and 41.49% respectively. Secondary education (AOR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.62, 4.66), multiparity (AOR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.41, 3.26), antenatal care (AOR = 2.94; 95% CI 2.03, 4.26), and postnatal follow-up (AOR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.20, 2.23) were significantly associated with knowledge level whereas; primary education (AOR = 7.08, 95% CI 4.79, 10.47), urban residency (AOR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.65, 3.00), attending monthly meetings (AOR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.64, 2.62), antenatal care (AOR = 2.89, 95% CI 1.97, 4.26), advised during delivery (AOR = 2.54, 95% CI 1.80, 3.59), postnatal follow-up (AOR = 7.08, 95% CI 4.79, 10.47) and knowledge (AOR = 2.93; 95% CI 1.81, 4.75) were statistically significant with essential newborn practice.

Conclusions

The current systematic review and meta-analysis findings reported that the level of knowledge and practice of essential newborn care among Ethiopian women was low. Therefore, improvement of essential newborn through the provision of community-based awareness creation forum, improving antenatal and postnatal care follow up, education on essential newborn care to all pregnant and postnatal women are very important.

Trial registration Prospero registration: CRD 42021251521

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12978-022-01480-0.

Essential newborn care (ENC) is a single most cost-effective intervention to reduce neonatal mortality and morbidity both in developed and developing countries. An intensive electronic search from PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, HINAR, Scopus, and Web of Sciences were performed to identify the primary studies. In this meta-analysis a total of 25 articles were included to estimate the polled prevalence of ENC knowledge and practice among Ethiopian women. Accordingly, the national pooled prevalence of ENC knowledge and practice among women was 55.05% and 41.49% respectively. In the current systematic review and meta-analysis, Secondary education, multiparity, antenatal care, and postnatal follow-up were significantly associated with knowledge level whereas; primary education, urban residency, attending monthly meetings, antenatal care, advised during delivery, postnatal follow-up and knowledge on ENC were found to be statistically significant with essential newborn practice. As per finding the knowledge and practice regarding essential newborn care among women in Ethiopian was significantly low. Hence, improvement of essential newborn through the provision of community-based awareness creation forum, improving antenatal and postnatal care follow up, education on essential newborn care to all pregnant and postnatal women are very important.

Neonatal near miss and associated factors among neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit of hospitals in East Wollega, Western Ethiopia, 2019

Background:

Neonatal near miss is an infant who nearly died but survived from birth to 28 days. Neonatal period is the most vulnerable time for child’s healthiness and continued existence. Globally, about 2.5 million children died in their first month of life and 7000 die/day.

Objective:

To assess neonatal near miss and associated factors among neonates admitted to intensive care unit at hospitals in East Wollega, West Ethiopia, 2019.

Methods:

Quantitative, facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 15 July to 30 August 2019 on 403 neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care unit of hospitals. After ethical clearance, five recruited and trained nurses collected the data with pretested structured questionnaire. Neonates sampled were selected using systematic random sampling. Data entered into Epi-info version 7.1 and exported to SPSS Version 24. Binary logistic regression was performed, and adjusted odds ratio with P-value ⩽ 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was used as statistically significant.

Results:

All, 403, study participants were included in this study, yielding 100% response rate. From these, 196 (48.60%) neonates were near miss. In multivariable logistic regression, mother who lived in rural area (adjusted odds ratio = 3.84, 95% confidence interval = (1.78, 8.31)), cesarean section (adjusted odds ratio = 10.68, 95% confidence interval = (2.95, 38.71)), and neonates referred to hospitals (adjusted odds ratio = 3.32, 95% confidence interval = (3.27, 12.01)). Also, female neonates (adjusted odds ratio = 2.99, 95% confidence interval = (1.45, 6.14)) and multiple birth (adjusted odds ratio = 3.07, 95% confidence interval = (1.32, 7.16)) were significantly associated with neonatal near miss.

Conclusion:

Neonatal near miss found to be high compared to previously existing research in Brazil. Health institutions, health professionals, and concerned bodies on plan and implementation of neonatal care need to consider these factors during pregnancy, delivery, and for neonates immediate after birth and in neonatal intensive care unit.

Magnitude of neonatal near miss in public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Objectives

Although neonatal near miss is an emerging concept and a tool for improving neonatal care, its magnitude and associated factors are less researched in Ethiopia. Thus, this study was aimed to uncover the magnitude of neonatal near miss and its associated factors in public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia.

Methods

A facility-based cross-sectional study was employed on a randomly selected 405 mother-neonate pairs. An interview using a structured questionnaire accompanied by review of medical records was used to collect data from the mothers and records of the neonates. Neonatal near miss was defined as having any of the pragmatic (gestational age < 33 weeks, birth weight < 1750 g, and fifth minutes Apgar score < 7) or management criteria. Crude and adjusted logistic regression analysis was done to identify associated factors and presented with adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval.

Results

Of 401 mother-neonate pairs included in the study, 126 (31.4%, 95% confidence interval = [26.9, 36.2]) neonates had at least one neonatal near miss event at discharge. Neonatal near miss was more likely among neonates from referred women (adjusted odds ratio = 2.24, 95% confidence interval = [1.25, 4.03]), no antenatal care (adjusted odds ratio = 2.08, 95% confidence interval = [1.10, 3.93]), antepartum hemorrhage (adjusted odds ratio = 4.29, 95% confidence interval = [2.16, 8.53]), premature rupture of membrane (adjusted odds ratio = 4.07, 95% confidence interval = [2.05, 8.07]), obstructed labor (adjusted odds ratio = 2.61, 95% confidence interval = [1.23, 5.52]), non-vertex presentation (adjusted odds ratio = 3.03, 95% confidence interval = [1.54, 5.95]), and primiparous (adjusted odd ratio = 2.67, 95% confidence interval = [1.49, 4.77]).

Conclusions

In this study, we found that neonatal near miss is higher than previous findings in Ethiopia. Improving neonatal near miss requires promoting antenatal care, maternal referral system, and early identification and management of obstetric complications.

Factors associated with neonatal-near miss: birth cohorts in three Brazilian cities - Ribeirão Preto, Pelotas and São Luís, Brazil

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, maternal reproductive profile and prenatal and childbirth care with neonatal near miss (NNM) morbidity in four birth cohorts. This study involved four population-based birth cohorts: Ribeirão Preto (RP) and São Luís (SL) (2010), Pelotas 2004 (PEL04) and 2015 (PEL15). NNM was defined when one or more of the following conditions were present: birthweight <1,500 g, 5-minute Apgar score <7, gestational age <32 weeks, and report of congenital malformations. The covariates were obtained with questionnaires applied to the puerperal women. Some particularities between cohorts were identified. In the RP and SL cohorts, factors of the more distal levels (sociodemographic, lifestyle, and reproductive profile) were associated with NNM. On the other hand, proximal factors related to healthcare were more significant for the occurrence of NNM in PEL. Only the absence of prenatal care was associated with NNM in all cohorts: RP (OR=4.27, 95%CI 2.16-8.45), SL (OR=2.32, 95%CI 1.09-4.94), PEL04 (OR=4.79, 95%CI 1.59-14.46), and PEL15 (OR=5.10, 95%CI 2.60-9.97).

Determinants of neonatal near miss among neonates admitted to public hospitals in Southern Ethiopia, 2021: A case-control study

BACKGROUND

Neonatal near-miss (NNM) cases refer to situations in which babies are on the verge of dying between the ages of 0 and 28 days due to severe morbidity that occurs during pregnancy, delivery, or extra-uterine life, but survive either by luck or due to high-quality health care. Identifying NNM cases and addressing their determinants is crucial for devising comprehensive and relevant interventions to tackle neonatal morbidity and mortality. Hence, this study aimed at finding out the determinants of NNM in neonates admitted to public hospitals in Hadiya zone, southern Ethiopia.

METHODS

A hospital-based unmatched case-control study was conducted in three selected hospitals in southern Ethiopia from May 1 to June 30, 2021. A total of 484 participants took part in the study (121 cases and 363 controls). Controls were chosen using systematic sampling approaches, whereas cases were recruited consecutively at the time of discharge. Cases were selected based on the Latin American Centre for Perinatology (CLAP) criteria of an NNM. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and a data extraction checklist were used for data collection. The Data were entered into Epi-Data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. A multivariable logistic regression analysis with a p-value of <0.05 was used to determine the determinants of NNM.

RESULTS

Ninety-seven (80.1%) and 56 (46.2%) near-miss cases encountered at least one pragmatic and management criteria, respectively. The most common pragmatic and management criteria were gestational age less than 33 weeks (44.6%) and intravenous antibiotic usage up to 7 days and before 28 days of life (27.3%), respectively. A short birth interval [AOR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.29, 3.57], lack of ANC [AOR = 3.37; 95%CI: 1.35, 6.39], Caesarean mode of delivery [AOR = 2.24; 95%CI: 1.20, 4.16], the occurrence of a third maternal delay [AOR = 3.47; 95% CI: 2.11, 5.75], and poor birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) plan[AOR = 2.50; 95% CI: 1.49,4.13] were identified as a significant determinants of NNM.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The provision of adequate ANC should be a priority for health care providers at service delivery points. To avoid serious neonatal problems, mothers who deliver by Cesarean section should receive more attention from their families and health care providers. Health care providers in the ANC unit should encourage pregnant women to implement the WHO-recommended elements of the BPCR plan. To achieve optimal birth spacing, healthcare providers should focus on the contraceptive provision. Unnecessary delays in health facilities during childbirth should be avoided at all costs.

Neonatal near miss: A review of current definitions and the need for standardisation

Neonatal near miss (NNM) refers to a newborn who almost died in the neonatal period and is often perceived as part of a spectrum that includes stillbirth and neonatal death. NNM audits might improve recognition of risk factors and substandard care, facilitate benchmarking and inform prevention strategies to improve perinatal outcomes. This review shows that available NNM definitions are inconsistent and vary widely. This is likely to undermine the development of effective prevention strategies and global comparisons. Expert opinion may help reaching a consensus, thus enabling targeting of the appropriate population which would lead to more meaningful data for perinatal audits.

Effectiveness of neonatal "near miss" audits in reducing perinatal morbidity and mortality: a systematic review protocol

OBJECTIVE

This review will assess the effectiveness of neonatal near-miss audits in reducing perinatal mortality and morbidity, as implemented in health care facilities.

INTRODUCTION

Every year, 2.5 million newborns die and 2.6 million more are stillborn worldwide. While many perinatal deaths are preventable, their reduction has been markedly slower than the decline of maternal or child mortality rates. It is hypothesized that neonatal near miss is part of the spectrum of stillbirth-neonatal death and that auditing these cases might reduce perinatal mortality and morbidity.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

This review will consider neonatal near-miss audits implemented in health care facilities worldwide. Randomized controlled trials, cluster-randomized trials, quasi-randomized controlled trials, controlled before-and-after studies, interrupted time series, case-control, cohort studies, cross-sectional studies, and case series will be included. Conference abstracts, letters, studies duplicating validation data from previous studies, gray literature, and unpublished studies will be excluded.

METHODS

Using the JBI guidelines for conducting systematic reviews of effectiveness, the review will search the following electronic bibliographic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, LILACS, and SciELO. No publication date or language limits will be imposed. Two independent reviewers will screen titles, abstracts, and full-text studies, assessing methodological quality with the JBI critical appraisal tools. GRADE will be used to assess the confidence in the findings. Covidence will be used for data extraction and management. A meta-analysis will be performed if the selected studies are sufficiently homogeneous. If not, the results will be discussed as a narrative synthesis.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO (CRD42021224090).

The burden of severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy on perinatal outcomes: a nationwide case-control study in Suriname

BACKGROUND

Latin America and the Caribbean is the region with the highest prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy worldwide. In Suriname, where the stillbirth rate is the second highest in the region, it is not yet known which maternal factors contribute most substantially.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study in Suriname were to (1) study the impact of different types of maternal morbidity on adverse perinatal outcomes and (2) study perinatal birth outcomes among women with severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

STUDY DESIGN

A case-control study was conducted between March 2017 and February 2018 during which time all hospital births (86% of total) in Suriname were included. We identified babies with adverse perinatal outcomes (perinatal death or neonatal near miss) and women with severe maternal morbidity (according to the World Health Organization Near Miss tool). Stillbirths and early neonatal deaths (<7 days) were considered perinatal death. We defined a neonatal near miss as a birthweight below 1750 g, gestational age <33 weeks, 5-minute Apgar score <7, and preterm intrauterine growth restriction <p3. Descriptive statistics and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

In the 1-year study period, adverse perinatal outcomes were reported for 638 singleton births of which 120 (18.8%) involved women with severe maternal morbidity. In most of these cases, the mother suffered severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (n=95/120, 79.2%). Severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were strongly associated with adverse perinatal outcomes (adjusted odds ratio, 11.1; 95% confidence interval, 8.3–14.9). The prevalence of severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in Suriname was 2.5% (234/9197). Of the 215 singleton pregnancies complicated by severe hypertensive disorders, adverse perinatal outcomes were reported for 44.2% of them (n=95/215; adjusted odds ratio, 11.1; 95% confidence interval, 8.3–14.9); perinatal death accounted for 18.1% of these cases (n=39/215; adjusted odds ratio, 8.6; 95% confidence interval, 5.8–12.7) and neonatal near miss accounted for another 26.0% (n=56/215). Women with severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy had a preterm birth (<37 weeks) in 67.1% of the cases (n=143/215; adjusted odds ratio, 14.1; 95% confidence interval, 10.5–19.0), a baby with a low birthweight (<2500 g) in 62.2% of the cases (n=130/215; adjusted odds ratio, 10.8; 95% confidence interval, 8.1–14.5), and a baby with a low 5-minute Apgar score in 20.5% of the cases (n=43/215; adjusted odds ratio, 6.9; 95% confidence interval, 4.8–10.0).

CONCLUSION

In Suriname, severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are strongly associated with adverse perinatal outcomes, with an increased risk for preterm birth, low birthweight, low Apgar score, and perinatal mortality. Prevention, early diagnosis, and management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are expected to reduce perinatal deaths substantially. Recommendations to reduce perinatal deaths in Suriname include the establishment of a national health plan for the management of severe hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and the introduction of perinatal death and neonatal near miss reviews.

Perinatal outcomes among births to women with infection during pregnancy

OBJECTIVE

This study is part of the Global Maternal Sepsis Study (GLOSS). It aimed to estimate neonatal near-miss (NNM) and perinatal death frequency and maternal risk factors among births to women with infection during pregnancy in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC).

DESIGN

We conducted a 1-week inception hospital-based cohort study.

SETTING

The study was carried out in 408 hospitals in 43 LMIC of all the WHO regions in 2017.

PATIENTS

We included women with suspected or confirmed infection during pregnancy with at least 28 weeks of gestational age up to day-7 after birth. All babies born to those women were followed from birth until the seventh day after childbirth. Perinatal outcomes were considered at the end of the follow-up.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Perinatal outcomes were (i) babies alive without severe complication, (ii) NNM and (iii) perinatal death (stillbirth and early neonatal death).

RESULTS

1219 births were analysed. Among them, 25.9% (n=316) and 10.1% (n=123) were NNM and perinatal deaths, respectively. After adjustment, maternal pre-existing medical condition (adjusted odds ratios (aOR)=1.5; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.0) and maternal infection suspected or diagnosed during labour (aOR=1.9; 95% CI 1.2 to 3.2) were the independent risk factors of NNM. Maternal pre-existing medical condition (aOR=1.7; 95% CI 1.0 to 2.8), infection-related severe maternal outcome (aOR=3.8; 95% CI 2.0 to 7.1), mother's infection suspected or diagnosed within 24 hours after childbirth (aOR=2.2; 95% CI 1.0 to 4.7) and vaginal birth (aOR=1.8; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.9) were independently associated with increased odds of perinatal death.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, one-third of births were adverse perinatal outcomes. Pre-existing maternal medical conditions and severe infection-related maternal outcomes were the main risk factors of adverse perinatal outcomes.

Analysis of Maternal Factors Impacting Neonatal Near Miss (NNM) Events: A Tertiary Centre Experience

Objective

To find out the incidence of neonatal near miss (NNM) cases in comparison with the neonatal deaths and to study the different antenatal and intrapartum maternal variables and system-related delays influencing these events.

Methodology

This is a descriptive retrospective study conducted over a year (2018-2019) at a tertiary referral hospital in India, where NNM cases were selected as per 'pragmatic criteria', and detailed maternal and neonatal biological variables and near miss indicators were procured from the medical record books and analysed.

Results

Out of 6383 live births and 231 neonatal deaths in the hospital during the study period, 810 NNM cases were identified born to 710 mothers, i.e. 3.5 cases for each neonatal death. Birth weight and gestational age in combination contributed to the maximum number of cases-383 (47.28%). The most common reason for referral was threatened pre-term/PPROM with non-availability of NICU-197 cases (38.3%) out of 514 referrals. Out of 710 mothers, 529 (74.5%) had at least one comorbidity at the time of presentation. The most common comorbidity was anaemia in 267 women followed by hypertensive disorder of pregnancy-in 251 cases. Primary delay contributed to 54% of all delays in the study.

Conclusion

NNM can be used as an effective tool for quality control and audits to effectively reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality but needs more research to establish a standardized definition and criteria for selection of cases.

A Case-Control Study on the Predictors of Neonatal Near-Miss: Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice

Purpose: Neonatal near miss (NNM) allows for the detection of risk factors associated with serious newborn complications and death, the prevention of which could reduce neonatal mortality. This study was conducted with the objective of identifying predictors for NNM in a tertiary hospital in Bangalore city.Methods: This was an unmatched case-control study involving 120 NNM cases and 120 controls. NNM was determined using Pileggi-Castro’s pragmatic and management criteria. Data was collected from in-patient hospital records and interviews of postpartum mothers. Multiple logistic regression of exposure variables was performed to calculate adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).Results: Significant predictors were maternal age ≥30 years (AOR, 5.32; 95% CI, 1.12 to 9.29; P=0.041), inadequate antenatal care (ANC) (AOR, 8.35; 95% CI, 1.98 to 51.12; P=0.032), <3 ultrasound scans during pregnancy (AOR, 12.5; 95% CI, 1.60 to 97.27; P=0.016), maternal anaemia (AOR, 18.96; 95% CI, 3.10 to 116.02; P=0.001), and any one obstetric complication (hypertensive disorder in pregnancy, diabetes in pregnancy, preterm premature rupture of membranes, prolonged labour, obstructed labour, malpresentation) (AOR, 4.34; 95% CI, 1.26 to 14.95; P=0.02).Conclusion: The predictors of NNM identified has important implications for public health policy and practice whose modifications can improve NNM. These include expanding essential ANC package to include ultrasound scans, ensuring World Health Organization recommendations of eight ANC visits, capacity building at all levels of health care to strengthen routine ANC and obstetric care for effective screening, referral and management of obstetric complications.

Prevalence of neonatal near miss and associated factors in Nepal: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The rate of neonatal mortality has declined but lesser than the infant mortality rate and remains a major public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries. There is an urgent need to focus on newborn care, especially during the first 24 h after birth and the early neonatal period. Neonatal near miss (NNM) is an emerging concept similar to that of maternal near miss. NNM events occur three to eight times more often than neonatal deaths. The objective of this study was to establish the prevalence of NNM and identify its associated factors.

METHODS

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Koshi Hospital, Morang district, Nepal. Neonates and their mothers of unspecified maternal age and gestational age were enrolled. Key inclusion criteria were pragmatic and management markers of NNM and admission of newborn infants to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Koshi Hospital. Non-Nepali citizens were excluded. Consecutive sampling was used until the required sample size of 1,000 newborn infants was reached. Simple and multiple logistic regression was performed using SPSS® version 24.0.

RESULTS

One thousand respondents were recruited. The prevalence of NNM was 79 per 1,000 live births. Severe maternal morbidity (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4.52; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.07-9.84) and no formal education (aOR 2.16; 95% CI 1.12-4.14) had a positive association with NNM, while multiparity (aOR 0.52; 95% CI 0.32-0.86) and caesarean section (aOR 0.44; 95% CI 0.19-0.99) had negative associations with NNM.

CONCLUSIONS

Maternal characteristics and complications were associated with NNM. Healthcare providers should be aware of the impact of obstetric factors on newborn health and provide earlier interventions to pregnant women, thus increasing survival chances of newborns.

Determinants of neonatal near miss in Australia: A multilevel analysis

BACKGROUND

Neonatal Near Miss (NNM) is a situation where a newborn narrowly survived the neonatal period. It has been hypothesized that identifying factors that contribute to the occurrence of NNM and taking timely interventions could enhance the quality of newborn care. However, there is limited evidence in Australia. This study aimed to identify the determinants of NNM in Australia.

METHODS

Data from the 1973-78 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) were linked with state-based Perinatal Data Collections (PDC) for 3655 mothers and 5526 newborns who were born between 01 January 2007 and 31 December 2015. A newborn was considered as a near miss case if presented with any of the pragmatic criteria (gestational age <32 weeks, birth weight <1500 g, five-minute Apgar score <7) and survived the neonatal period. A multilevel multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify the determinants of NNM.

RESULTS

Of the total 5526 live births included in this study, 95 live births met the criteria for NNM, corresponding to an incidence of 17.2 per 1000 live births. After controlling for potential confounders, maternal age 31-34 years (AOR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.05, 6.30) and 35 years and above (AOR = 4.03; 95% CI: 1.58, 10.31), caesarean section (AOR = 2.24; 95% CI: 1.09, 4.57), and gestational hypertension (AOR = 2.63; 95% CI: 1.21, 5.71) increased the odds of NNM.

CONCLUSION

Inclusion of NNM evaluations into newborn care and early screening and interventions for women who become pregnant at older age and those with pregnancy complications could improve the quality of newborn care and reduce neonatal morbidity.

Determinant Factors of Neonatal Near Miss Among Neonates in Gurage Zone Hospitals, Ethiopia: A Case-Control Study

Introduction

It is highly economical and commendable to identify the determinants of neonatal near miss which will be utilized as proxy determinants of neonatal mortality rate. However, neither determinants of neonatal mortality rate nor a determinant of a neonatal near miss are adequately investigated specifically within the study area. Therefore, this study is aimed to identify the determinants of neonatal near-miss among neonates admitted in hospitals of the Gurage zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Methods and Materials

Unmatched case-control study was conducted to identify factors associated with neonatal near-miss among neonates admitted in Gurage zone hospitals. A pre-tested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Besides, data related to the clinical diagnosis of neonates and managements given were extracted from patient records. In this study, a total of 105 cases and 209 controls have participated. To recruit cases and controls consecutive sampling methods and simple random sampling techniques were used respectively. Data were entered using Epi Data software and exported to SPPS for analysis. To identify the determinate factors of the outcome variable binary and multivariable logistic regression were employed.

Results

The determinate factors of the outcome variable include a history of abortion with AOR 3.9 [95%C1 3.53-10.15], referred from other health care institution AOR 7.53[95% CI 3.99-14.22], severe maternal morbidity during pregnancy AOR 4.57[95% CI 1.77-11.79], cesarean section mode of delivery 4.45[95% CI 1.76-11.25], and good essential newborn care knowledge AOR 3.33[95% CI 1.54-7.19].

Conclusion

In this study, easily modifiable/preventable maternal and health service utilization-related factors are increasing the menace of a neonatal near-miss in the Gurage zone. It is the signal that shows the primary health care program needs to be further enhanced to bring more desirable health outcomes and/or effectiveness of health policies needs to be examined to introduce more impactful strategies.

Associated factors with neonatal near miss in twin pregnancies in a public referral maternity unit in Brazil

Objective

The aim was to analyze the factors associated with neonatal near miss (NNM) in twin pregnancies in a public referral maternity unit in Brazil.

Material and Methods

This retrospective, cross-sectional study included 697 twin newborns. Cases of fetal and neonatal deaths were excluded. Neonates were divided into those meeting NNM criteria (5 min Apgar score <7, birth weight <1,500 g, gestational age at delivery <32 weeks, use of mechanical ventilation or congenital malformation, transfer before 28 days of life) and those who did not. In the bivariate analysis, the chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used. Variables with a p-value ≤0.20 were subjected to the multiple analyses, which followed the Poisson regression model.

Results

The cohort consisted of 130 (18.7%) neonates meeting NNM criteria and 567 (81.3%) with no NNM criteria after multiple analyses, the following variables were associated with NNM: no previous pregnancy, prevalence ratio (PR): 1.38 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03-1.85]; >3 previous pregnancies, PR: 1.93 (95% CI, 1.38-2.69); premature rupture of membranes, PR: 1.50 (95% CI, 1.70-2.12); intrauterine growth restriction, PR: 2.28 (95% CI, 1.53-3.33); premature labor, PR: 1.63 (95% CI, 1.13-2.35); resuscitation in the delivery room, PR: 1.80 (95% CI, 1.24-2.62); and transfusion of blood products, PR: 4.44 (95% CI, 3.14-6.28).

Conclusion

The study findings indicate that having had 0 or >3 previous pregnancies, premature rupture of the membranes, intrauterine growth restriction, resuscitation in the delivery room, premature labor, and transfusion of blood products were associated with NNM in twin pregnancies.

Effect of Preterm Birth on the Risk of Adverse Perinatal and Neonatal Outcomes in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Despite remarkable progress in the reduction of under-five mortality, the rate of perinatal and neonatal mortality is still high especially in developing countries. The adverse outcome associated with preterm birth is one of the major public health challenges in Africa. However, there are limited and inconsistent studies conducted on the effect of preterm birth on adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes in Ethiopia. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the association between preterm birth and its adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes in Ethiopia. We systematically searched several electronic databases like PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Google Scholar, African Journals Online databases and Science Direct. All identified observational studies were included. The I1 statistics were used to assess the heterogeneity among the studies. A random-effects model was computed to estimate the pooled effect of preterm birth on adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes. Thirty-three studies with a total of 20 109 live births were included in the final meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis showed that preterm birth increased the odds of perinatal mortality by 10-folds [POR = 9.56 (95% CI: 5.47, 19.69)] and there was a 5.44-folds risk of stillbirth [Odds Ratio = 5.44 (95% CI: 3.57, 8.28)] among women who gave birth before 37 weeks of gestation. In addition, preterm birth was significantly associated with neonatal hypothermia [OR=3.54 (95% CI: 2.41, 5.21)], neonatal mortality [OR= 3.16 (95% CI: 1.57, 6.34). The sub-group analysis of this meta-analysis showed that there was an increased risk of neonatal sepsis [OR=2.33 (95% CI: 1.15, 4.71)] among preterm babies. Preterm births significantly increased the risk of adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes in Ethiopia. Therefore, scale-up strategies and improving the quality of maternal and child health care providers should be an area of intervention to reduce adverse outcomes associated with preterm birth. The Federal Ministry of Health and concerned bodies should work towards the prevention of preterm birth and its adverse outcomes.

Assessment of content validity for a Neonatal Near miss Scale in the context of Ethiopia

Background

The concept of neonatal near miss is used to identify neonates who nearly died but survived a life-threatening complication in the first 28 days of life. Neonatal mortality is the tip of the iceberg. Quality improvement through utilization of a validated scale and reduction in adverse neonatal outcome is a priority for achieving sustainable development goals.

Objectives

To develop and assess the content validity of neonatal near-miss scale in the public health hospitals in Amhara Regional State, northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A literature review was performed prior to the development of the neonatal near-miss assessment scale. An expert panel committee was formed by health facility practitioners and by the members of the academia. Two rounds of meetings were conducted with the expert panel to reach consensus on the face and content validity. The content validity index, Kappa statistics, and the content validity ratio were computed to estimate the content validity scale of neonatal near miss.

Results

In this study, four domains (pragmatic, clinical, management, and lab-investigations) with 32 items were identified. The item-level content validity index ranged from 0.7 to 1. The overall scale content validity (S-CVI) (average) for the domains (pragmatic, clinical, management, and lab-investigations) were 0.98, 0.95, 0.96, and 0.96, respectively. The overall S-CVI (universal) was 0.78 to 1, whereas the overall S-CVI (average) of neonatal near miss assessment scale was found to be 0.96. The content validity ratio and Kappa statistics values ranged from 0.6 to 1 and 0.9 to 1 for the respective domains.

Conclusion

The identified four domains and the respective items were valid enough (content-wise) to be used as identification criteria for neonatal near-miss cases. The scale will contribute to neonatal near-miss identification and also improve the quality of neonatal management care.

Factors associated with neonatal near miss in Brazil

OBJECTIVE:

This study evaluates the association between sociodemographic factors, maternal characteristics, organization of health services and neonatal near miss in public and private maternity hospitals in Brazil.

METHODS:

This is a prospective cohort of live births from the Nascer no Brasil survey, carried out between 2011 and 2012. Variables were established from the literature and organized on three levels: distal, intermediate, and proximal. The assessment was performed based on results of the bivariate analyzes and their respective p-values, with a significance level <0.20, using the Wald test. For multivariate analysis, the variables contained at the distal level were inserted, preserved in the model when significant (p < 0.05). This was also done when adjusting the intermediate and proximal levels.

RESULTS:

At the distal level, no variable was significantly associated with the outcome. At the intermediate level, mother's age greater than or equal to 35 years (relative risk – RR = 1.32; 95%CI 1.04–1.66), cesarean delivery (RR = 1.34; 95%CI 1.07–1.67), smoking (RR = 1.48; 95%CI 1.04–2.10), gestational hypertensive syndrome (RR = 2.29; 95%CI 1.98–3.14), pre-gestational diabetes (RR = 2.63; 95%CI 1.36–5.05) and twin pregnancy (RR = 2.98; 95%CI 1.90–4.68) were variables associated with the outcome. At the proximal level, inadequate prenatal care (RR = 1.71; 95%CI 1.36–2.16) and the hospital/maternity being located in a capital city (RR = 1.89; 95%CI 1.40–2.55) were associated with neonatal near miss.

CONCLUSIONS:

The results show that neonatal near miss was influenced by variables related to the organization of health services and by maternal characteristics.

Neonatal near Miss and Its Predictors among Neonates Delivered at Debretabor General Hospital, Northern Ethiopia; A Retrospective Analysis

Background

In many low-resource countries, the progress of neonatal mortality reduction is very slow. The scenario is notably true in sub-Saharan Africa including Ethiopia. For every neonatal death, there are lots of near missed neonates. Generating evidences on the extent and predictors of neonatal near miss is a key step in neonatal mortality reduction efforts. However, there is limited evidence in this aspect in Ethiopia.

Objective

This study is aimed at assessing the proportion of neonatal near miss and associated factors among neonates delivered at Debretabor General Hospital, Northern Ethiopia, 2019.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 422 neonates delivered at Debretabor General Hospital from July 1^st, 2018, to June 30^th, 2019. Both pragmatic and management criteria of definition of neonatal near miss were utilized. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the cards of the study participants. Data were extracted with structured and pretested checklist, entered in the EpiData, and then exported to SPSS version 20. Both descriptive and analytical procedures have been done. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and cross tabulations were carried out. The binary logistic regression model was fitted and variables with p value < 0.20 were entered in the multivariable logistic regression model. Both crude and adjusted odds ratios with the corresponding 95% CI were computed. The level of significance has been claimed based on the adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI and its p value of ≤0.05.

Results

The proportion of neonates experiencing near miss was obtained to be 32.2% with 95% CI (28, 36). Rural residence (AOR = 4.41; 95% CI: 2.57,7.55), incomplete ANC visit (AOR = 3.16; 95% CI: 1.90,5.25), primiparous (AOR = 2.55; 95% CI: 1.59,4.12), pregnancy-induced hypertension (AOR = 3.23; 95% CI: 1.19,8.78), premature rupture of membrane (AOR = 4.65; 95% CI: 1.70,12,73), cephalic-pelvic disproportion (AOR = 3.05; 95% CI: 1.32,7.01), and antepartum hemorrhage (AOR = 4.95; 95% CI: 1.89,12.96) were the independent predictors of neonatal near-miss. Conclusion and Recommendations. The proportion of neonatal near miss was found to be high in the study setting. Most of the determinants of near miss are modifiable obstetric-related factors. Hence, stakeholders need to consider the aforesaid factors while they design interventions.

EARLY NEONATAL NEAR MISS IN A UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL: COMPARATIVE CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

OBJECTIVE

To compare 2012 and 2016 data on early neonatal near miss indicators from Health Information Systems at a university hospital.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study conducted in 2012 and 2016. We considered early neonatal near misses the live births that presented one of the following risk conditions at birth: gestational age <33 weeks, birth weight <1,750g or 5-minute Apgar score <7, or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission, and were alive until the 7th day of life. Data were collected from the Live Birth Information System, Hospital Information System, and Mortality Information System. We calculated the early neonatal mortality rate, neonatal near miss rate, severe neonatal outcome rate, early neonatal survival index, and early neonatal mortality index, compared by year of birth.

RESULTS

In 2012, 304 early neonatal near misses were registered, with a higher proportion of cases with very low birth weight and mothers who had zero to three prenatal visits. In 2016, the number of cases was 243, with a predominance of more NICU admissions. The incidence of early neonatal deaths and early neonatal near misses was higher in 2012 than in 2016.

CONCLUSIONS

Neonatal near miss indicators identified difference between years. The cases were more severe in 2012 and there were more NICU admissions in 2016.

Neonatal near miss in the intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE

To analyze near miss cases among newborns hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit.

METHODS

An observational, cross-sectional, retrospective study using the STROBE guideline. Data were collected from 1,101 records of live births (newborns). Statistical analysis used the Epi-Info program 3.3.2 and Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests.

RESULTS

A total of 162 newborns were hospitalized, of which 63 had at least one criterion of near miss. The variables that remained associated with neonatal near miss were weight <1.750 g, gestational age <33 weeks and Apgar at 5 minutes <7, pragmatic criteria to identify cases of neonatal near miss morbidity.

CONCLUSION

Prematurity and low birth weight were the factors that contributed most to the near miss outcome among newborns hospitalized in intensive care, a rate two and a half times higher than the number of deaths, according to scientific evidence.

Incidence and determinants of neonatal near miss in south Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study

Background

For every neonate who dies, many others experience a near miss event that could have but did not result in death. Neonatal near miss is three to eight times more frequent than neonatal deaths and, therefore, is more useful for assessing the determinants of adverse neonatal outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and determinants of neonatal near miss in south Ethiopia.

Methods

A facility-based prospective study was conducted among 2704 neonates between 12 July to 26 November 2018. The neonates were followed from the time of admission to hospital discharge or seven postpartum days if the newborn stayed in the hospital. The data were collected by interviewer-administered questionnaire and medical record review. Logistic regression was employed to identify the distant, intermediate and proximal factors associated with neonatal near miss. The independent variables were analysed in three hierarchical blocks. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to determine the strength of the associations.

Results

The incidences of neonatal near miss and neonatal death were 45.1 (95% CI = 37.7–53.8) and 17.4 (95% CI = 13.0–23.3) per 1000 live births, respectively. Of those newborns who experienced neonatal near miss, more than half (59.8%) of their mothers were referred from other health facilities. After adjusting for potential confounders, the odds of neonatal near miss were significantly higher among neonates with a low monthly income (< 79 USD monthly), a birth interval of less than 24 months and where severe maternal complications had occurred.

Conclusion

Strategies to improve neonatal survival need a multifaceted approach that includes socio-economic and health-related factors. The findings of this study highlight important implications for policymakers with regard to neonatal near miss. In particular, addressing inequalities by increasing women’s income, promoting an optimal birth interval of 24 months or above through postpartum family planning, and preventing maternal complications may improve newborn survival.

The PRECISE (PREgnancy Care Integrating translational Science, Everywhere) database: open-access data collection in maternal and newborn health

In less-resourced settings, adverse pregnancy outcome rates are unacceptably high. To effect improvement, we need accurate epidemiological data about rates of death and morbidity, as well as social determinants of health and processes of care, and from each country (or region) to contextualise strategies. The PRECISE database is a unique core infrastructure of a generic, unified data collection platform. It is built on previous work in data harmonisation, outcome and data field standardisation, open-access software (District Health Information System 2 and the Baobab Laboratory Information Management System), and clinical research networks. The database contains globally-recommended indicators included in Health Management Information System recording and reporting forms. It comprises key outcomes (maternal and perinatal death), life-saving interventions (Human Immunodeficiency Virus testing, blood pressure measurement, iron therapy, uterotonic use after delivery, postpartum maternal assessment within 48 h of birth, and newborn resuscitation, immediate skin-to-skin contact, and immediate drying), and an additional 17 core administrative variables for the mother and babies. In addition, the database has a suite of additional modules for 'deep phenotyping' based on established tools. These include social determinants of health (including socioeconomic status, nutrition and the environment), maternal co-morbidities, mental health, violence against women and health systems. The database has the potential to enable future high-quality epidemiological research integrated with clinical care and discovery bioscience.

Neonatal near-misses in Ghana: a prospective, observational, multi-center study

Background

For every newborn who dies within the first month, as many as eight more suffer life-threatening complications but survive (termed ‘neonatal near-misses’ (NNM)). However, there is no universally agreed-upon definition or assessment tool for NNM. This study sought to describe the development of the Neonatal Near-Miss Assessment Tool (NNMAT) for low-resource settings, as well as findings when implemented in Ghana.

Methods

This prospective, observational study was conducted at two tertiary care hospitals in southern Ghana from April – July 2015. Newborns with evidence of complications and those admitted to the NICUs were screened for inclusion using the NNMAT. Incidence of suspected NNM at enrollment and confirmed near-miss (surviving to 28 days) was determined and compared against institutional neonatal mortality rates. Suspected NNM cases were compared with newborns not classified as a suspected near-miss, and all were followed to 28 days to determine odds of survival. Confirmed near-misses were those identified as suspected near-misses at enrollment who survived to 28 days. The main outcome measures were incidence of NNM, NNM:mortality ratio, and factors associated with NNM classification.

Results

Out of 394 newborns with complications, 341 (86.5%) were initially classified as suspected near-misses at enrollment using the NNMAT, with 53 (13.4%) being classified as a non-near-miss. At 28-day follow-up, 68 (17%) had died, 52 (13%) were classified as a non-near-miss, and 274 were considered confirmed near-misses. Those newborns with complications who were classified as suspected near-misses using the NNMAT at enrollment had 12 times the odds of dying before 28 days than those classified as non-near-misses. While most confirmed near-misses qualified as NNM via intervention-based criteria, nearly two-thirds qualified based on two or more of the four NNMAT categories. When disaggregated, the most predictive elements of the NNMAT were gestational age < 33 weeks, neurologic dysfunction, respiratory dysfunction, and hemoglobin < 10 gd/dl. The ratio of near-misses to deaths was 0.55: 1, yet this varied across the study sites.

Conclusions

This research suggests that the NNMAT is an effective tool for assessing neonatal near-misses in low-resource settings. We believe this approach has significant systems-level, continuous quality improvement, clinical and policy-level implications.

Factors associated with neonatal near-miss in selected hospitals of Gamo and Gofa zones, southern Ethiopia: nested case-control study

Background

To scale up a comprehensive way of implementation to reduce neonatal mortality evaluation of factors for neonatal near-miss cases is very important. Certain studies were done in assessing near-miss cases, but they failed in identifying the proximate factors affecting profoundly. So, this study is to fill those gaps in the aforementioned studies, in assessing the factors affecting neonatal near-miss cases.

Methods

A nested case-control study was conducted in selected three Hospitals of Gamo and Gofa Zones, Southern Ethiopia from April 5, 2018, to March 5, 2019. The structured standard tool was used to identify neonatal near-miss cases. Data were entered into Epi data version 3.1 and exported to Stata version 15 for analysis. A conditional logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with near-miss cases. The goodness of fit was tested by a log-likelihood ratio (LR). In this study P-value < 0.05 was considered to declare a result as a statistically significant association.

Results

In this study 121 neonatal near-miss cases, and 363 controls were involved. The identified factors that affect neonatal near-miss were multiparty (AOR = 3.81, 95%CI: 1.72, 8.42), antenatal care follow up (AOR = 0.02, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.05), premature rupture of membrane (AOR = 3.40, 95%CI: 1.53, 7.55), non-vertex presentation (AOR = 2.83, 95%CI: 1.44, 5.58), and cesarean delivery (AOR = 4.89, 95%CI: 2.34, 10.24).

Conclusions

Those identified factors are better should be intervened. Strengthening antenatal care services by providing appropriate information for the mother and counseling about the consequences of multiparty and providing information on family planning. There is a need to identify, screen and critical follow high-risk mothers and give immediate and appropriate intervention as early as possible.

Advanced maternal age and factors associated with neonatal near miss in nulliparous and multiparous women

The early neonatal period accounts for approximately half of the deaths of young children under one year of age, and the neonatal near miss can recognize factors causing this high number of deaths. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine whether advanced maternal age increases the chance of neonatal near miss, in addition is to identify which factors are associated with the neonatal near miss, stratified by parity. Data are from the 2011-2012 Birth in Brazil study, which used a national population-based sample of 15,092 newborns of women between 20-29 and 35 years of age or more (advanced maternal age). Multiple logistic regression was performed to test the association between neonatal near miss and prenatal and childbirth variables, pre-gestational diseases, obstetric history and socioeconomic characteristics, stratified by parity. Advanced maternal age was to be statistically associated with neonatal near miss in nulliparous (OR = 1.62; 95%CI: 1.05-2.50) and multiparous (OR = 1.51; 95%CI: 1.20-1.91) when compared to women 20-29 years of age. For nulliparous women, the main variables statistically associated with neonatal near miss were multiple gestation (OR = 8.91) and hypertensive disease (OR = 2.57), whereas forceps-assisted vaginal delivery (OR = 7.19) and multiple gestation (OR = 4.47) were the variables associated for multiparous women. Neonatal near miss has been shown to be connected with access to health services for childbirth, gestational complications and maternal characteristics, mainly advanced maternal age. Therefore, to properly monitor and classify maternal gestational risk, to control gestational complications during prenatal care, and to correctly refer these women to childbirth care should be priority strategies for healthcare services.

NEONATAL MORBIDITY NEAR MISS IN TERTIARY HOSPITALS IN A CAPITAL OF NORTHEAST BRAZIL

OBJECTIVE

To characterize near miss neonatal morbidity in tertiary hospitals in a capital city of Northeast Brazil based on Health Information Systems, and to identify differences regarding indicators of near miss cases, allowing the surveillance of newborns with risk of death.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study carried out in hospitals with neonatal intensive care unit, whose neonatal near miss cases in 2012 were identified from a deterministic linkage between the Mortality Information System and the Live Birth Information System. The biological variables of children, variables related to maternal characteristics and indicators of near miss were calculated by type of service and hospital. Biological variables of children, variables related to maternal characteristics and near miss indicators were calculated by service type and hospital and then compared by ratio difference test, parametric and non-parametric tests for measures of central tendency.

RESULTS

Of 24,254 live births, 2,098 cases of neonatal morbidity near miss were identified, most of them concentrated in the public hospitals (89.9%). The combination of birth weight and gestational age had the largest number of cases in both segments, public (43.5%) and private (46%). Variations in neonatal near miss indicators were observed between hospitals, which suggests assistance problems.

CONCLUSIONS

The concept of neonatal near miss, its applicability with data from Health Information Systems, and its indicators are a preliminary tool to monitor hospital care for newborns by signaling health services that require in-depth evaluation and investments for quality improvement.

Neonatal near miss determinants at a maternity hospital for high-risk pregnancy in Northeastern Brazil: a prospective study

BACKGROUND

To investigate the associations of maternal variables - sociodemographic, obstetrical and maternal near miss (MNM) variables - with neonatal near miss (NNM) using the new concept of NNM formulated by the Centro Latino-Americano de Perinatologia (CLAP) and the corresponding health indicators for NNM.

METHODS

An analytical prospective cohort study was performed at maternity hospital for high-risk pregnancy in Northeastern Brazil. Puerperal women whose newborn infants met the selection criteria were subjected to interviews involving pretested questionnaires. Statistical analysis was performed with the Epi Info 3.5.1 program using the Chi square test and Fisher's exact test when appropriate, with a level of significance of 5%. A bivariate analysis was performed to evaluate differences between the groups. All the variables evaluated in the bivariate analysis were subsequently included in the multivariate analysis. For stepwise logistic regression analysis, a hierarchical model was plotted to assess variable responses and adverse outcomes associated with MNM and NNM variables.

RESULTS

There were 1002 live births (LB) from June 2015 through May 2016, corresponding to 723 newborn infants (72.2%) without any neonatal adverse outcomes, 221 (22%) NNM cases, 44 (4.4%) early neonatal deaths and 14 (1.4%) late neonatal deaths. The incidence of NNM was 220/1000 LB. Following multivariate analysis, the factors that remained significantly associated with increased risk of NNM were fewer than 6 prenatal care visits (odds ratio (OR): 3.57; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.57-4.94) and fetal malformations (OR: 8.78; 95% CI: 3.69-20.90). Maternal age older than 35 years (OR: 0.43; 95% CI: 0.23-0.83) and previous cesarean section (OR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.29-0.68) protected against NNM.

CONCLUSION

Based on the large differences between the NNM and neonatal mortality rates found in the present study and the fact that NNM seems to be a preventable precursor of neonatal death, we suggest that all cases of NNM should be audited. Inadequate prenatal care and fetal malformations increased the risk of NNM, while older maternal age and a history of a previous cesarean section were protective factors.

[Early neonatal near miss identified through health information systems]

The aim of this study was to validate a definition to identify cases of early neonatal near miss using data from health information systems (SIS in Portuguese). This was a concurrent validation study focusing on three definitions for identification of cases of early neonatal near miss among live births in a university hospital in 2012. Three different definitions were applied to this live birth cohort using the criteria birth weight, gestational age, 5-minute Apgar score, admission to the neonatal intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation, and congenital malformations, in different combinations, considering the proposals in two Brazilian articles (Silva et al.; Pillegi-Castro et al.) and a third (SIS definition) with available data from health information systems. Cases were defined as infants that had survived the risk conditions as of the 7th day of life. For concurrent validation, the study adopted early neonatal deaths as the reference. Of the 2,097 live births studied, 33 died in the early neonatal period, and the number of cases of early neonatal near miss varied according to the definition used: 153 (Silva definition), 194 (Pileggi-Castro definition), and 304 (SIS definition). Sensitivity and specificity were 97% and 92.6%, respectively, according to the Silva definition, 90.9% and 90.6% according to the Pileggi-Castro definition, and 93.9% and 85.3% according to the SIS definition. The results show that the SIS definition has sensitivity and specificity close to the other definitions and suggest that it is possible to monitor early neonatal near miss using only data that are available in official health information systems.

Survival and negotiation: narratives of severe (near-miss) neonatal complications of Syrian women in Lebanon

The World Health Organization has elaborated a maternal and neonatal near-miss reporting, audit and feedback system designed to improve the quality of care during and after childbirth. As part of a four-hospital comparative study in the Middle East, this article discusses the experiences of mothers whose newborns suffered from severe complications at birth in the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the only public hospital in Beirut. Based on in-depth home interviews several weeks after childbirth, it aims to explore the experience of neonatal near-miss events through the mothers' birth narratives. The central concerns of these vulnerable and marginalised women regarded access to neonatal care, and how to negotiate hospital bureaucracy and debt. It argues that financial and bureaucratic aspects of the near-miss event should be part of the audit system and policy-making, alongside medical issues, in the quest for equitable access to and management of quality perinatal care.

A populational based study on the prevalence of neonatal near miss in a city located in the South of Brazil: prevalence and associated factors

Abstract Objectives: to identify the prevalence of neonatal near miss morbidity in the city of Joinville, SC and the associated factors. Methods: a populational based cross-sectional study including all live births in 2012 registered at SINASC. The near miss cases were identified based on the weight <1500g, Apgar scores at 5th minute <7, gestational age <32 weeks, use of mechanical ventilation or presence of congenital malformation. The gross odds ratios (OR) and its respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated and the logistic regression was performed to obtain the adjusted odds ratios and its respective 95% CI. Results: the prevalence of near miss was 33 per thousand live births (95% CI: 29-37). In the final model, a risk classification of live births according to the City Program (Programa Municipal) (ORaj= 19.7; 95% CI: 14.2 to 27.2), cesarean section (ORaj= 2.1; 95% CI:1.5 to 2.8) and public hospital (ORaj= 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2 to 2.3) remained associated to morbidity near miss. Conclusions: near miss morbidity was 7.3 times higher than neonatal mortality. To know its determinants in different national contexts may include some changes in the focus of public health actions by redirecting to preventive interventions.

Neonatal Near Miss: the need for a standard definition and appropriate criteria and the rationale for a prospective surveillance system

In Latin American, there is currently a regional action with the main purposes of putting the concept of severe neonatal morbidity in practice and formulating proposals for interventions. A general overview of neonatal health conditions, including morbidity and mortality, is provided to update regional knowledge on the topic. An example of the development and implementation of the concept of maternal near miss is also provided, followed by results from a systematic review covering all previously published studies on Neonatal Near Miss. Finally, some proposals for building a common concept on the topic and for launching a prospective surveillance study are presented. A Neonatal Near Miss is a neonate who had a severe morbidity (organ dysfunction or failure) but who survived this condition within the first 27 days of life. The pragmatic criteria recommended to be used are as follows: birth weight below 1700 g, Apgar score below 7 at 5 minutes of life and gestational age below 33 weeks. As a proxy for organ dysfunction, the following management criteria are also confirmed: parenteral therapeutic antibiotics; nasal continuous positive airway pressure; any intubation during the first 27 days of life; phototherapy within the first 24 h of life; cardiopulmonary resuscitation; the use of vasoactive drugs, anticonvulsants, surfactants, blood products and steroids for refractory hypoglycemia and any surgical procedure. Although this study starts from a regional perspective, this topic is clearly globally relevant. All nations, especially low and middle-income countries, could benefit from the proposed standardization.