Verbal Autopsy for Neonatal Mortality: A Community-Based Study

Aim of Study : To identify rate, time and causes of neonatal deaths in two selected rural areas in Bangladesh. Material and methods: This was a cross sectional community based study, conducted in two sub-districts of rural Bangladesh. A total of 54 mothers who experienced neonatal death between March 2007 and February 2008 were interviewed using the WHO validated standard verbal autopsy questionnaire for neonatal mortality. Results : The neonatal mortality rate in this population is 52.8/1000 livebirths. More than 72% of the deaths occurred at home. Eighty five percent were in the early neonatal period. Birth asphyxia was the largest cause of death (77% died within 24 hours of birth). Neonatal sepsis was the major cause of death in the late neonatal period. Conclusions : The neonatal mortality rate assessed by verbal autopsy is higher than that nationally reported. Most of the deaths occurred at home and within few hours of life, mostly due to birth asphyxia. Resuscitation care for birth asphyxia can be made universally available at the household level, where deliveries at home tend to be the norm; this may reduce the neonatal death.