| dc.description.abstract | Late preterm neonates (LPNs) and early term neonates (ETNs) represent substantial
proportions of global births. Despite this, the prevalence, risk factors, and neonatal
outcomes within these subgroups are understudied in Garissa County, Kenya. The
purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, establish risk factors associated
with late preterm, and early term births relative to full-term, their neonatal outcomes,
and predictors of their survival at Garissa County Referral Hospital. Utilizing a
prospective cohort study design, this research employed convenience sampling to enroll
LPNs, ETNs, and full-term neonates (FTNs) as a control group. After obtaining
informed consent, data was collected at five distinct time points: days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28
of neonatal life. A range of maternal and fetal factors, along with neonatal outcomes,
were captured using pre-tested, validated structured questionnaires. Data were entered,
cleaned, and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 27 and
STATA version 17. Various statistical tests such as Chi-square, independent sample t
tests, and Kruskal-Wallis were applied to determine significant differences.
Multinomial and ordinal logistic regression models were used to identify potential risk
factors, while Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to estimate neonatal survival
rates. The findings of this study revealed that LPNs, ETNs and FTNs have a prevalence
of 8.47%, 11.86% and 9.2%, respectively. Maternal related risk factors associated with
birth of LPN, ETN and FTN were maternal age (P=0.042), occupation (P=0.024),
ethnicity (P=0.021), religion (P=0.016) and absence of previous abortion/still
birth/premature deliveries (P = 0.015). Birth weight was significantly associated with
LPN (P=0.00), while FTN had significantly higher likelihood of delayed initiation of
breastfeeding (P=0.038) but were less likely to have feeding difficulties compared to
LPN and ETN (P=0.012). However, the survival rates were remarkably high across all
groups, with 100% for LPNs, 98.7% for ETNs, and 98.2% for FTNs. In conclusion, the
study provides vital insights into the prevalence, risk factors, and neonatal outcomes for
LPN’s and ETN’s in Garissa County. It further establishes that there is increased
likelihood of delay in initiation of breastfeeding among FTN compared to their LPN and
ETN counterparts. Nevertheless, the survival rate remains high across all categories.
This study underscores the need for targeted interventions to improve outcomes for
these vulnerable populations.
Key words: Late Preterm Neonate; Early Term Neonate, Full Term Neonate;
Morbidity, Mortality, Survival, Garissa | en_US |
