Predictors of neonatal mortality among neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Sidama regional state, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Despite promising efforts, substantial deaths occurred during the neonatal period. According to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO), Ethiopia is among the top 10 nations with the highest number of neonatal deaths in 2020 alone. This staggering amount makes it difficult to achieve the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) target that calls for all nations to work hard to meet a neonatal mortality rate target of ≤ 12 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030. We evaluated neonatal mortality and it's contributing factors among newborns admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (HUCSH). METHODS: A hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study on neonates admitted to the NICU from May 2021 to April 2022 was carried out at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. From the admitted 1044 cases over the study period, 225 babies were sampled using a systematic random sampling procedure. The relationship between variables was determined using bivariate and multivariable analyses, and statistically significant relations were indicated at p-values less than 0.05. RESULTS: The magnitude of neonatal death was 14.2% (95% CI: 0.099-0.195). The most common causes of neonatal death were prematurity 14 (43.8%), sepsis 9 (28.1%), Perinatal asphyxia 6 (18.8%), and congenital malformations 3 (9.4%). The overall neonatal mortality rate was 28 per 1000 neonate days. Neonates who had birth asphyxia were 7.28 times more probable (AOR = 7.28; 95% CI: 2.367, 9.02) to die. Newborns who encountered infection within the NICU were 8.17 times more likely (AOR = 8.17; 95% CI: 1.84, 36.23) to die. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of newborn death is excessively high. The most common causes of mortality identified were prematurity, sepsis, perinatal asphyxia and congenital anomalies. To avert these causes, we demand that antenatal care services be implemented appropriately, delivery care quality be improved, and appropriate neonatal care and treatment be made available.

Iron folic acid supplementation adherence level and its associated factors among pregnant women in Ethiopia: a multilevel complex data analysis of 2019 Ethiopian mini demographic and health survey data.

Background: Iron and folic acid deficiency is a worldwide public health concern, particularly in low and middle-income countries. In Ethiopia, adherence to iron and folic acid supplements is still very low. Despite the fact that a number of studies on IFA supplementation have been conducted in Ethiopia, they do not indicate a nationwide problem and do not use advanced models to demonstrate clustering effects. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of non-adherence to iron folic acid supplementation and predictors among pregnant women in Ethiopia. Objective: To assess iron folic acid supplementation adherence level and its associated factors among pregnant women in Ethiopia using data from the 2019 Mini-Ethiopian demographic health survey. Methods: The Mini Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey 2019 data were obtained from the official database website of the Demographic and Health Survey program (http://dhsprogram.com). The analysis included a sample of 2,356 weighted study participants. A multivariable multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model was used Variables with p-values less than 5%) was reported as statistically significant variables in the multivariable analysis. Results: The proportion of mothers who did not adhere to iron and folic acid supplements was 81.03% (95 %CI, 79.39, and 82.56). Birth interval less than 2 years [AOR: 2.03; 95% CI: 1.12, 3.66], women ever born less than six children [AOR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.09, 3.64], starting ANC visit during first trimester [AOR: 2.74; 95 %CI: 1.03, 7.30], region [AOR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.10], and having a high no ANC visit in the community [AOR = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.08, 2.88] were statistically significant factors. There was Intra-Custer Correlation (ICC = 17.72%), indicating that 17.72% variability in non-adherence levels was due to clusters. Conclusion and recommendation: In Ethiopia, nearly four out of every five pregnant women did not receive iron folic acid supplementation for the recommended periods. Birth intervals, number of children, timing of ANC visits, region, and community level no ANC service were significant factors for non-adherence IFAS. As a result, the community, govern metal and non-governmental sectors enacting on health should focus on reducing non-adherence through tailored interventions on factors that influence it.

Patterns of Childhood Tuberculosis Diagnosis in Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Hawassa, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia.

Background: Because of the pauci bacillary nature of childhood tuberculosis and the difficulties in obtaining proper sputum samples from young children, diagnosing childhood tuberculosis (TB) is difficult. Childhood TB needs early identification and care since it advances swiftly to more advanced stages. This study was aimed to determine the patterns of all forms of childhood tuberculosis diagnosis at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Hawassa, Ethiopia. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1, 2017 to January 30, 2021 among 175 children diagnosed and treated for tuberculosis in the pediatric ward. Children medical charts and pediatrics ward logbook were used to extract pertinent data by structured checklists. SPSS version 23.0 was used for data entry and statistical analysis. Results: Of 175 children, fever was the leading clinical symptoms and diagnosed in 166 (94.9%) children followed by weight loss (154, 88%), and cough (136, 77.7%). In twenty seven out of 88 (30.6%) children, gastric aspirate was positive for TB infection by Xpert MTB/Rif, while 3/40 (7.5%) were positive for TB using fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), 19/66 (28.8%) had suggestive TB by cerebrospinal fluid analysis (CSF), 10/29 (34.5%) were smear positive for TB and 70/162 (43.2%) were suspected for TB by chest X-ray. Conclusion: Despite recent breakthroughs in quick microbiological detection, such as Xpert MTB/Rif, this study revealed that more than half of the children, 89/175 (51%), were treated for TB diseases solely based on clinical criteria. This will significantly underestimate the true nature of the illness or disease and make them vulnerable to mistreatment. As a result, in order to appropriately treat the disease and manage patients in our settings, getting a microbiological diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis requires improvement, and we call for expanded availability and use of a more sensitive and specific diagnostic technique to circumvent these concerns.

Fulminant Hepatitis and Ulcerative Colitis: Case Report of Ethiopian Child with Schistosomiasis and Amebiasis Co-Infection.

Background: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that affects around 200 million people worldwide, the majority of whom are children aged 5 to 15 years. It is one of the most significant public health problems in tropical and subtropical regions. Entamoeba histolytica infection is common in areas where schistosomiasis is endemic because Schistosoma mansoni infection can reduce the host's immune response, resulting in increased morbidity. Case Presentation: This is the story of a 12-year-old male adolescent from the Guji zone of the Oromia regional state of Ethiopia who presented to Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (HUCSH) complaining of bloody diarrhea of 1 week associated with vomiting of ingested matter of 2 weeks. He also had history of fever, chills, rigors, arthralgia, and weight loss during a 2 weeks period. Further questioning revealed that he had previously swum in a pond and had a self-limited itchy skin condition. The family said that similar cases had occurred in their town that resolved with medications provided at a local health center. Conclusion: Schistosomiasis and amebiasis are major public health issues, especially in impoverished areas. Schistosomiasis presents differently clinically depending on the phase and clinical form in which it manifests, making diagnosis and management challenging. As a result, it necessitates an integrated collaboration involving clinicians, pathologists, and public health professionals. We describe ulcerative colitis (UC) ascribed to schistosomiasis and amoebiasis coinfection, and fulminant hepatitis due to schistosomiasis. As there was no report of liver abscess on sonographic scanning, hepatitis may not be due to coinfection. This case will be an alert to clinicians and public health personnel who are striving for the ultimate eradication of schistosomiasis and also teaches us that treating co-infections of both is beyond just giving praziquantel and antiamebics.

A Breakthrough in the Challenges of Tuberculosis Diagnosis: Lateral Flow Urine Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) Assay for the Diagnosis of Active Tuberculosis in a Subset of Human Immuno Deficiency Virus (HIV) Patients at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Hawassa, Ethiopia.

Background: Tuberculosis is commonly detected late or not at all in HIV-positive people. Rapid and sensitive molecular tests like Gene X-pert have recently become available to replace or supplement existing conventional tests for detecting tuberculosis, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that these rapid techniques be used as the initial diagnostic test for tuberculosis to avoid delays in starting appropriate treatment. The lipoarabinomannan was approved by the national ministry of health in August 2021 for the detection of active tuberculosis in specified groups. Case Summary: It is not uncommon for tuberculosis to be difficult to diagnose in this population, and we believe that our experiences with urine lipoarabinomannan for the detection of active tuberculosis will benefit other clinicians and, ultimately, patients. We discussed the experiences of two human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients with putative active tuberculosis, whose tuberculosis workups were negative by conventional methods, including gene expert but found to be positive by urine lipoarabinomannan and who were started on anti-tuberculosis medicines and improved. They are now in a good condition and are taking their medications regularly without any problems. Conclusion: Ending the suffering of HIV patients necessitates lobbying for more accurate tuberculosis diagnosis. The urine Lipoarabinomannan (LAM) assay will address the shortcomings of traditional sputum-based diagnostic tests including sputum Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB) and Gene X-pert, making it a credible alternative for diagnosing tuberculosis in people with HIV. The results of this case series demonstrated that TB LAM is a milestone for the difficulties in TB diagnosis in HIV patients. As of now, the national guideline only suggests urine LAM for HIV patients who fulfill the set criteria. We recommend the stakeholders to increase the availability, and extrapolate the recommendation to other populations including non-HIV patients.

Is It a Coincidence or Secondary Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura? A Case of an 11-Year-Old Male Patient at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Hawassa, Sidama, Ethiopia.

Background: Isolated thrombocytopenia with normal levels of other cell lines in the absence of other reasons is referred to as "immune thrombocytopenic purpura" (ITP). Tuberculosis has been associated with a variety of hematologic abnormalities, although severe thrombocytopenia and tuberculosis presenting as immune thrombocytopenic purpura are extremely uncommon. Case Presentation: We discuss a case of an 11-year-old male adolescent who came with epistaxis and petechial rash lasting one day, as well as severe thrombocytopenia. Following the clinical diagnosis of ITP, the patient was started on prednisone, transfused with platelets, and later started on antituberculosis (ATT) after confirmation of tuberculosis. The patient had a satisfactory response during the course of treatment, and the platelet level was fully recovered after 6 months. Conclusion: Tuberculosis (TB) should be recognized as a cause of immunological thrombocytopenia in tuberculosis-endemic areas. Our patient's platelet count improved after 1 week of ATT and 2 weeks of prednisolone, and it was entirely restored after 6 months of ATT treatment. Unfortunately, there are no clear guidelines for treating TB-related immune thrombocytopenia or determining the cause of TB-related immune thrombocytopenia. Tuberculosis-induced ITP resolves with the ATT, even though more investigation is warranted.

The First Experience of Effective 3rd Line Antiretroviral Therapy - A Case of 40-Year-Old Female Retroviral-Infected Patient at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Hawassa, Sidama, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Treatment failure continues to be an impediment to the efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HART) in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection (HIV-1). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends third-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) for patients who have failed second-line ART. Darunavir (DRV) boosted with ritonavir (DRV/r) has a higher genetic barrier to resistance, is active against multidrug-resistant HIV isolates, retaining virological activity even when multiple protease mutations are present, and has been shown to be cost-effective when compared to other boosted protease inhibitors (PIs). CASE SUMMARY: This is a case of a 40-year-old female known HIV/AIDS patient who has been on ART for the last 14 years with good adherence and regular follow-up, and who is now on 3rd line ART medication with TLD (tenofovir/lamivudine/dolutegravir)+DRV/r (in her 11th month) after being diagnosed with second-line treatment failure. After 6 months and 1 week of therapy, the viral load (VL) was sent, and the result was undetectable. The patient's clinical conditions had greatly improved. CONCLUSION: Third-line ART therapy, which was once thought to be a salvageable treatment, is now the primary option for second-line ART failure. TLD in combination with ritonavir-boosted darunavir is found to be effective at lowering viral loads in the blood below detectable limits. Despite a lack of data on the use of third-line ART in Ethiopia, access to third-line ART containing ritonavir-boosted darunavir is recommended because it has been shown to be an effective alternative for patients who have failed second-line ART. We recommend that more research be done with a larger sample size, and that the findings in this paper be used with caution.

Determinants of Skilled Birth Attendant Utilization at Chelia District, West Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: An estimated 303,000 maternal deaths occurred globally in 2015 from which sub-Saharan Africa alone accounted for 201,000 (66%) of the maternal deaths, and most of these are attributed to complications of pregnancy and childbirth due to the absence of institutional delivery by skilled attendants. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess institutional delivery utilization and associated factors among mothers who gave birth in the last one year in Chelia District. Methodology. A community-based cross-sectional study design supplemented by a qualitative method was employed from March 15 to 30, 2018. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 475 study participants. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires, and focus group discussions were employed to get qualitative data. The data were entered to EpiData version 3.1 and exported to the statistical package version 21 for analysis. Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were computed to measure the strength of association between dependent and independent variables at a p value of <0.05. RESULTS: Among the respondents, 216 (46.2%) utilized institutional delivery service. Monthly income (AOR = 4.465, 95%CI = 1.729, 11.527), antenatal care attendance (AOR = 0.077, 95%CI = 0.008, 0.73), knowledge of mothers about their expected date of delivery (AOR = 0.297, 95%CI = 0.179, 4.93), intended pregnancy (AOR = 0.326, 95%CI = 0.162, 0.654), discussion with health extension workers about the place of delivery at home visit (AOR = 0.11, 95%CI = 0.023, 0.523), knowledge of mothers about the existence of the waiting area in health facilities (AOR = 0.14, 95%CI = 0.023, 0.84), and number of children (AOR = 0.119, 95%CI = 0.029, 0.485) had a significant association with institutional delivery utilization. CONCLUSION: Utilization of institutional delivery was low and far away from the expected country target in the district. The health sector should strive to increase proportion of institutional delivery by reaching pregnant mothers with timely antenatal care service provision and enhancing family planning provision.

Prevalence and factors associated with depression among pregnant mothers in the West Shoa zone, Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Depression during pregnancy, the most prevalent mental health problem, can alter fetal development and has important consequences on the offspring's physical and mental health. Evidence suggests increasing rates of prevalence of depression in low-income settings such as Ethiopia. However, there are a few studies on the topic with inconsistent results. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of antenatal depression and its correlates among pregnant women in Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the West Shoa zone, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia, from February 20, 2018, to March 20, 2018. Pregnant women were recruited by using cluster sampling techniques. Data on socio-demographic, obstetric, and psychosocial characteristics were collected by interviewer-administered questionnaire. Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess depression during pregnancy. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were fitted to identify correlates of depression. The level of statistical significance was declared at p value < 0.05. RESULTS: The mean age (± SD) of the pregnant women was 28.41 ± 5.9 years. The prevalence of depression during pregnancy was 32.3%. When we adjusted for possible confounding variables in the final model; those pregnant mothers with an average monthly income of less than 500 (18 USD) Ethiopian birr [AOR = 3.19, 95% CI (1.47, 6.96)], unplanned pregnancy [AOR = 1.52, 95% CI (1.04, 2.21)] and having history of abortion [AOR = 5.13, 95% CI (2.42, 10.85)] have higher odds of depression when compared to their counterparts. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of depression during pregnancy was high. Strengthening the counseling service as well as increasing access and availability of modern contraceptive methods may reduce the rates of unplanned pregnancy in Ethiopia and this, in turn, plays a significant role in alleviating a resultant depression. Further, the integration of mental health services with existing maternal health care as well as strengthening the referral system among public health centers was warranted to minimize antenatal depression in the West Shoa zone health facilities.

Adolescents living with HIV are at higher risk of death and loss to follow up from care: Analysis of cohort data from eight health facilities in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data on the treatment outcomes of adolescents living with HIV. Our objective was to compare mortality and loss to follow up (LTFU) rates between adolescent and younger age groups at enrollment in care. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study carried out in eight health facilities in two regions of Ethiopia. Adolescents (age 10-14 and 15-19 year) and children (age 0-9 year) enrolled in chronic HIV care between 2005 and 2013 constituted the study population. We reviewed the individual patient charts between March and June 2014 and updated the data on the status of each patient through December 2015. We used death and loss-to-follow up as primary endpoints and used the Cox-regression analysis where age, categorized as adolescent versus child, was the main predictor variable. RESULTS: Of 2058 participants studied, 52.1% were adolescents. The cohort contributed 2422 person-years of observation (PYO) during the pre-ART follow-up, whereas 1531 patients put on ART contributed 5984 PYO. Of those put on ART, 209 (13.7%) LTFU and 92 (6%) deaths were reported. Adolescents in age group 15-19 yr had the highest risk of LTFU [adjusted hazard ratio, aHR (95% CI) = 3.1 2.1, 5.0 ] followed by those in age group 10-14 yr (aHR = 1.5 [0.9, 2.3]) compared with children aged 0-9 yr. Mortality hazard was significantly higher among younger adolescents (aHR = 2.8 [1.4, 5.4]) and older adolescents (aHR = 2.3 [1.1, 4.9]) compared with children. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents are at higher risk of mortality and LTFU as compared to children ages 0-9. Younger adolescents and children had similar LTFU rates. Narrow age band disaggregated analysis can serve as useful guide for tailoring interventions to the specific needs of different age groups.

Mobile Phone Based Strategies for Preconception Education in Rural Africa.

BACKGROUND: Prepregnancy health care is vital to alleviate and prevent maternal and neonatal disability and death. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to measure the levels of knowledge and attitude on preconception care and their determinants among women who delivered at government hospitals in a rural setting in southern Ethiopia. METHOD: A facility-based cross sectional study was done from January 01 to February 30, 2017 on a sample of 370 women who delivered at government hospitals in Wolayita zone. The mothers were selected using systematic random sampling technique. The data were collected using structured and pretested interviewer administered questionnaires at the postnatal ward of each hospital. Data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariable techniques. RESULTS: The result showed that 53% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 47.8%, 58.1%) of mothers who delivered at public hospitals had adequate level of knowledge on preconception care, whereas 54.3% (95% CI: 49.2%, 59.5%) possessed positive attitude to preconception care. Mothers who have radio, planned pregnancy and have participated in community meetings related to preconception care had a meaningfully higher odds of good level of knowledge to preconception care. Ordinal regression showed that women who own mobile phone had at least three times significantly higher odds of positive attitude to preconception care, whereas women who have participated community meetings had lower odds of positive attitude on preconception care. CONCLUSION: The results revealed that the levels of mothers' knowledge and positive attitude on preconception care are low relative to other studies. Using transistor radio and mobile phone have significant effect in improving the knowledge and attitude of reproductive age women on preconception care. Hence, providing community health education based on radio and/or mobile phone messaging could be useful in positively influencing the knowledge and attitude of women on preconception care.

Home birth and its determinants among antenatal care-booked women in public hospitals in Wolayta Zone, southern Ethiopia.

INTRODUCTION: Antenatal care (ANC), health facility birth and postnatal care services are proved to reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. In Ethiopia, even though antenatal care coverage is good, still home birth is high. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of home birth among women who were booked for ANC in public hospitals in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted from February to May 2017 among 554 third trimester pregnant mothers who visited public hospitals of Wolaita Zone, southern Ethiopia for ANC service. All women were interviewed twice: the first interview was done face-to-face in the health facility in which they were having ANC follow up to gather information about basic socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics; the second interview was done via telephone after they gave birth to get information about the place of birth. Epi-Data version 3.1 was used for data entry and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 68 (13.5%; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 10.5%-16.6%) women who were booked for ANC gave birth at home. Being uneducated (AOR = 2.46, 95% CI: [1.10-5.10]), starting ANC visit late (>16weeks) (AOR = 2.27, 95% CI: [1.14-4.50]), time taken to reach at health facility for ANC service (>30minutes) (AOR = 8.94, 95% CI: [4.50-17.72]), waiting time of greater than 30 minutes for ANC in health facilities (AOR = 1.18, 95% CI: [1.06-2.30]) and lack of knowledge about danger signs of pregnancy (AOR = 4.18, 95%CI: [1.80-9.70]) were significantly associated with home birth. CONCLUSIONS: Home birth among ANC booked women is low compared to other studies. Yet, giving attention to women with no education and those coming from far areas while providing advice on birth preparedness and pregnancy danger signs may be useful to further reduce the rate of home birth. Advising mothers to start ANC early and trying to reduce ANC waiting time could also be of importance.

Prevalence of parasitic infections in HIV-positive patients in southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Intestinal parasitic infections are a major public health burden in tropical countries. Although all HIV/AIDS patients are susceptible to parasitic infections, those having lower immune status are at greater risk. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in patients living with HIV/AIDS. METHODOLOGY: This was a facility-based cross-sectional study. A total of 343 consecutively sampled HIV/AIDS patients from the HIV care clinic of Hawassa University Referral Hospital were included. Subjects were interviewed for demographic variables and diarrheal symptoms using structured questionnaires. Stool examinations and CD4 cells counts were also performed. RESULTS: The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 47.8% among HIV/AIDS patients; single helminthic infection prevalence (22.7%) was higher than that the prevalence of protozoal infections (14.6%). About 54% of study participants had chronic diarrhea while 3.4% had acute diarrhea. The prevalence of intestinal parasites in patients with chronic diarrhea was significantly higher than in acute diarrhea (p <0.05). Non-opportunistic intestinal parasite infections such as Ascaris lumbricoides, Taenia spp., and hookworm were commonly found, regardless of immune status or diarrheal symptoms. Opportunistic and non-opportunistic intestinal parasitic infection were more frequent in patients with a CD4 count of <200/mm(3) (OR=9.5; 95% CI: 4.64-19.47) when compared with patients with CD4 counts of ≥500 cells/mm(3). CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal parasitic infections should be suspected in HIV/AIDS-infected patients with advanced disease presenting with chronic diarrhea. Patients with low CD4 counts should be examined critically for intestinal parasites, regardless of diarrheal status.

Ectopia cordis--a case report.

Ectopia cordis is a rare congenital defect in which the heart is partially or completely exposed on the surface of the thorax. It may occur as an isolated malformation or it may be associated with a larger category of ventral body wall defects that affect the thorax, abdomen or both. The defect is also often associated with intracardiac lesions. We report here a case of ectopia cordis who was born by ceserean section and died after an hour.

Pattern of neural tube defects at Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Neural Tube Defect (NTD) is the most common of the central nervous system malformations. Although there is scarcity of information in Ethiopia, the burden of disease is high in low socioeconomic countries. OBJECTIVE: To assess the pattern and frequency of Neural Tube defects (NTDs). METHODS: Charts of a total of 115 children with neural tube defect (NTD) were reviewed retrospectively from JANUARY, 2001 to June 2005 in Ethio Swedish Children's Hospital. RESULTS: The most common defect seen was myelomeningocele (64.4%); followed by meningocele (18.3%) and encephalocele (13.0%). Associated anomalies like clubfoot undescended testis, different types of hernias, hydroceles etc. were noted in 28.7% of the patients. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the frequency distribution of the different neural tube defects in Tikur Anbessa hospital is not different from previous findings mentioned in the literature. However, overall frequency of neural tube defects could not be calculated from this study since the total live births in the study area during the study period were unknown. Hence, further prospective study is needed to substantiate these facts.