Introduction: Neonatal birth injuries (NBI) are a diverse set of mechanical traumas from tractions and compressions affecting neonates during delivery, and these range from minor bruises and lacerations to significant injuries such as obstetric fractures and nerve injuries. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, pattern, and outcome of newborn birth injuries seen at UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital (UTH), Osogbo.
Methods: This retrospective descriptive study was conducted at UTH, Osogbo, in Osun State, South-Western Nigeria. The data of the 190 neonates with birth injuries attended to in the hospital’s neonatal unit over 11 years from 1st January 2012 to 31st December 2022 were collected. The data were analyzed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23 (SPSS 23).
Results: The prevalence rate of NBI was 100.2/1000 NU admission (10%). The most common type of birth injury was caput succedaneum, accounting for 71.6% of the cases. Perinatal asphyxia was the dominant associated co-morbidities (79.5%). Most (98.9%) had favorable outcomes, while 1.1% were referred on account of residual deformity. The mode of delivery, place, and duration between delivery were significantly associated with treatment outcomes (p-value <0.001, 0.003).
Conclusion: The prevalence of neonatal birth injuries was high in our study. Caput succedaneum was the predominant NBI in our survey.
