19 Burden of perinatal.pmd

1Department of Paediatrics, Sana’a University, Sana’a, Yemen (Correspondence to S.M. Banajeh: [email protected]). Department of Obstetrics; Department of Paediatrics, Al Sabeen Hospital for Women and Children, Sana’a, Yemen. ABSTRACT We conducted a 12-year retrospective analysis of perinatal characteristics at Al-Sabeen Hospital, Sana’a. There were 62 168 births, 2936 stillbirths and 5434 perinatal deaths. There were 14 576 (24.6%) preterm low-birth-weight (LBW) babies. Early neonatal death (ENND) rate was 42.2/1000 live births. Of the 10 546 neonates admitted to the special baby care unit (SBCU), 40.1% were preterm LBW and 2147 (20.4%) died (80.6% were preterm LBW). The last 4 years showed a 17.2% increase in stillbirths and a 40.5% reduction in ENND compared with the first 4 years. In the SBCU, reduction in ENND was > 70%. Respiratory distress accounted for 63.8% of deaths in the SBCU and birth asphyxia 15.0%. Our results reflect the poor antenatal and delivery care services in Yemen.