RESUMO
Neonatal deaths account for a major proportion of child deaths globally. Major causes of neonatal deaths are preterm birth, asphyxia, sepsis, pneumonia, congenital anomalies, diarrheal diseases, and tetanus. Without a sound knowledge about the changing trends in morbidity and mortality, it will be difficult to formulate appropriate strategies in management, prevention, and review. The present study was aimed at providing statistical data related to mortality pattern seen in hospitalized neonates. Methodology: A descriptive case series study was conducted with records of the patients who were admitted in the Paediatric Department of HSK Hospital and Research Centre over a 12-month period. The collected data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and appropriate statistical test was used to interpret the data. Results: A total of 101 infants died in our hospital, among them maximum 87 (86.14%) mortality was observed in early neonatal period. Causes of mortality were classified as direct and antecedent causes. The most common direct cause was found to be birth asphyxia 35 (34.66%) followed by respiratory distress syndrome 15 (14.85%) and meconium aspiration syndrome 15 (14.85%). Congenital cardiomyopathy (n = 3) was the most common congenital anomaly. 79.35% of the neonates had low birth weight and 20.65% were small for gestational age. Conclusion: With birth asphyxia being the most common cause, education and training regarding neonatal resuscitation will play a major role in decreasing the neonatal mortality.