Publication:

Unveiling referral's impact on asphyxiated newborns: a cross-sectional study

Background Birth asphyxia also known as perinatal asphyxia, refers to the lack of oxygen during the childbirth. The asphyxiated newborns require a comprehensive care and many special newborns care units have established in Gujarat for the sick newborns. This study mainly focuses on understanding the reasons for referral, the average travel time to tertiary care institutions, and identifying gaps to minimize unnecessary referrals among patients.

Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of one year, and out-born asphyxiated newborns were selected based on the inclusion criteria. A pretested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data, which was later analyzed using Microsoft excel and statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) 26.

Results Out of the 131 newborns, 31% had moderate-severe asphyxia. Approximately 9% of the patients had to travel for more than 2hours to reach the final health facility. Among the patients, risk of mortality was significantly higher among the those who were referred from the private health facility. Lack of availability of bed, ventilator and economic burden were among the common reason for referral.

Conclusions There is a necessity to prevent unnecessary multiple and delayed referrals, and to provide essential care during transport to improve the outcomes.