Factors Contributing To The Mortality Of Low Birth Weight Infants In The New Born Unit, Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi

Abstract

This is a retrospective, cross-sectional descriptive study based on determining factors contributing to low birth weight infant (LBWI) deaths in Kenya. About 15.5% of all infants born worldwide (20 million) are born with low birth weight (LBW), that is, a weight of less than 2500grams (United Nation's Children Fund (UNICEF) & World Health Organization(WHO), 2004). 96% of these LBWls occur in the developing world, South Asia having the highest number with a LBW incidence of 31%. In Africa, the Middle East! Northern region has an incidence of 15% while sub- Saharan Africa has an incidence of 14%. In Kenya, the percentage of infants with LBW is at 10 %( UNICEF & WHO, 2004). These infants have little chance of survival (Beck et ai, 2010) hence the causes of their deaths need to be studied and resolved so as to reduce their mortality rates. The main objective of the study is to determine the factors contributing to mortality of LBWls in the New Born Unit of Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya. The study aims to determine the main causes of LBWI mortalities. and find out the extent to which medical care,morbidity events and infant nutrition affect the outcomes of LBWls in the New Born Unit of Kenyatta National Hospital. The study is based in Nairobi Province in Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Kenya's largest national referral and teaching hospital with a bed capacity of 1800. The hospital's New Born Unit (NBU) will be the centre of the study. Cross-sectional descriptive study design will be used. The study population will consist of all infants born in KNH then admitted to the NBU due to LBW and died while still in the unit. A sample size of 196, determined by the Fisher's formula, will be used for the study. Systematic and simple random sampling methods will be used to choose the required samples. A checklist, for collecting data from records and an interview guide, for obtaining information from health workers will be used as data collecting instruments. Four fourth year Bachelor of Science in Nursing students will be recruited and trained as research assistants. Data will be cleaned and analyzed using. the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and presentation will be in form of tables and pie-charts. The findings of this study will aid in reducing LBWI mortality rates in the country and adding to the body of knowledge in the care of LBWls.The study is expected to take a period of nineteen weeks with an estimated budget of Kshs. 123,976.