RESUMEN
The study analyzed the demographic and socio-economic determinants of neonatal mortality. The variables included one fetal variable [gender], three maternal variables [level of education, occupation, age], three paternal variables [level of education, occupation, age], and seven household [family] variables [nationality, consanguinity, family income, house ownership, type of housing, family type, domestic help]. One calendar year data [January to December 2011] was extracted from Qatar's National Perinatal Registry and analyzed using a univariate regression model. Qatar had a total of 20,583 live births and 102 neonatal deaths during 2011 [NMR 4.95/1000]. Less than secondary school maternal education level, as compared to secondary school or above maternal education level, was the only variable significantly associated with neonatal mortality [OR 2.08, 95% CI 1.23 - 3.53, p=0.009]. The association between the remaining thirteen variables and neonatal mortality was non-significant. Priority investment to raise female literacy above secondary school level may significantly improve neonatal survival
RESUMEN
Maternal and child survival are not only the targets of WHO's Millennium Development Goals [MDG's] but also a very important outcome indicator of a country's health services. Ever since their implementation in 1990, individual countries as well as development organizations and health care academics have been monitoring and guiding the progress towards achieving the MDG's. The two most recent progress reports, one on Maternal Mortality [MDG-5] and the other on Childhood Mortality [MDG-4] were published by The Lancet on May 2[nd], 2014. Both reports are the hard work of a large group of international experts "The Global Burden of Disease [GBD] Study group". The reports present a global, regional as well as country wise progress in reducing Maternal and Childhood Mortality between 1990 and 2013. The reports give a mix feeling of success as well as failure. While some regions and countries have made exceptional progress; the others have failed to do so. It is heart breaking to see that Pakistan is among the top few countries with no or limited progress. Here we present an account of the situation as well as a summary of health care strategies to counter this failure
RESUMEN
To analyse the risk factors determining the frequency of small for gestational age [SGA] and appropriate for gestational age [AGA] low birth weight [LBW] babies in a secondary care neonatal unit. This analytic and observational study was carried out in Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar from 01-01-1999 to 31-12-1999. Singleton babies admitted into the neonatal unit with a birth weight <2.5 Kg were included. The data was statistically analysed for the independent effect of infant sex, maternal age, parity, socioeconomic status and material illness on the frequency of SGA and AGA LBW babies. Both SGA and AGA LBW groups, had a statistically significant association with mothers in age 21-30 years as compared to mothers with age /= 31 years [p<0.0001]. In both, SGA and AGA LBW groups, there was a statistically significant association with primiparous or multiparous mothers[p<0.0001] as compared to P2 mothers. Both groups had a statistically significant association with mothers in poor socioeconomic group as compared to mothers from middle and upper class [p<0.0001]. The association of poor socioeconomic group with SGA LBW group was significantly higher than the association with AGA LBW group [OR 1.8571, 95% CI 1.3131-2.6264, RR 1.16, p=0.0006]. Poor socioeconomic status is a significant independent risk factor, for the frequency of both SGA and AGA LBW babies in a developing country