Adverse Birth Outcomes among Women Who Gave Birth at Selected Public Hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract
Background: Adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth are major public health
problems in low-resourced countries like Ethiopia. However, there is a lack of studies on the magnitude of adverse
birth outcomes and their underlying factors, particularly in Eastern Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the
prevalence and factors associated with adverse birth outcomes among women who gave birth at selected public hospitals in Eastern Ethiopia.
Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 562 consecutively selected laboring women
who gave birth at selected public hospitals in eastern Ethiopia from December 1-28/ 2019. Data were collected using
a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire, maternal medical record review, and measurement of the weight
of the newborn. A multivariable logistic regression model was employed to control for confounding factors in exploring the association between the dependent and independent variables. Statistical significance was declared at a cut-off
p-value of 0.05.
Results: The overall prevalence of adverse birth outcomes was 76 (13.7%) (95% CI: 11.7%, 17.6%). The prevalence
of low birth weight, stillbirth and preterm births were 40 (7.2%) (95% CI: 5.1 %, 10.6%), 37 (6.7%) (95% CI: 4.7%,
9.2%) and 28 (5%) (95% CI: 3.4%, 7.5%) respectively. Hypertension (AOR=8.69; 95% CI: 2.05, 16.76), history of
adverse birth outcomes (AOR=12.12; 95% CI: 6.5, 22.52), and multiple pregnancies (AOR=6.23; 95%CI: 2.63, 14.74)
were significantly associated with adverse birth outcomes.
Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of adverse birth outcomes was high. Prenatal risk identification and early
detection of complications among mothers with hypertension, multiple pregnancies, and previous history of adverse
outcomes were vital to alleviating this problem.