Neonatal complications and referral practices at birth: insights from a population-based study in the Indian state of Bihar

TL;DR

This study in Bihar, India, finds that one-third of newborns have complications at birth, and referrals are linked to higher neonatal deaths, highlighting urgent needs for better care.

Contribution

The study provides population-based insights into neonatal complications and referral practices in Bihar, India, revealing critical gaps in neonatal care.

Findings

32.9% of newborns had at least one complication at birth, with difficulty breathing being the most common.

Referrals were associated with higher neonatal deaths, especially for home-born infants.

Most referrals went to the private sector, regardless of the initial birth location.

Abstract

To explore neonatal survival by type of neonatal complications at birth and referral pattern for these complications by place of delivery.

Bihar, India.

Women aged 15–49 years who had given live birth between July 2020 and June 2021.

Prevalence of neonatal complications at birth, referral pattern by complication and neonatal deaths by type of complication.

Data were available for 6767 (81.8%) newborns including 717 neonatal deaths. The prevalence of at least one neonatal complication at birth was reported for 32.9% (95% CI 32.4 to 33.4) newborns, with the most common complications including difficulty in breathing (21.9%), high fever (20.7%), low birth weight (12.5%) and jaundice (13.2%). A total of 578 (26.6%; 95% CI 25.8 to 27.4) neonates with complications at birth were referred to another health provider, predominantly to private sector (68.1%, 93% and 78.7% from public facility, private facility and home). The complications with high referrals included meconium aspiration syndrome (64.1%; 95% CI: 61.1 to 67.1), inability to pass urine (54.7%; 95% CI: 42.1 to 67.2), difficulty in suckling (49.7%; 95% CI: 46.9 to 52.5), cold to touch (48.5%; 95% CI: 43.5 to 53.6), inability to cry (47.2%; 95% CI: 44.2 to 50.1), pneumonia (45.6%; 95% CI: 42.0 to 49.1), difficulty in breathing (44.0%; 95% CI: 42.5 to 45.6) and lethargy (43.5%; 95% CI: 38.4 to 48.6). Referrals were linked to higher neonatal deaths, in particular, among neonates born at home and referred for complications (84.7%; p<0.001) compared with those born in public facilities (59.8%) or private facilities (47.3%) and referred for complications.

With one-third of the neonates reported to have complications at birth and those referred more likely to die, critical gaps in addressing neonatal complications at birth and improvement in the referral services are urgently needed to reduce neonatal mortality.

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