Perinatal Risk Factors for Neonatal Bleedind at the Muhimbili National Hospital Dar-es-Salaam; Tanzania

ABSTRACT

This incident case-control study of bleeding neonates in a Baby Friendly Hospital was done to obtain the prevalence and risk factors associated with bleeding disorders in the neonatal unit. During a 4-month period from August to November 1998; 175 out of 1628 admitted infants were found to have some sort of bleeding. These were compared with 414 control infants. Prematurity; Low Birth Weight; Caesarian Section and anesthesia; and presence of asphyxia were significantly associated with bleeding. The Prothrombin and Activated Partial thromboplastin Test were not significantly altered in bleeding infants and had a poor correlation with clinical presence of a bleeding disorder.The low prevalence of bleeding disorder and coagulation defects is discussed and suggested that Breast Feeding may not be a risk factor for bleeding disorder in this unit. Further studies are needed in this regard