Neonatal tetanus at the close of the 20th century in Nigeria

The year 2000 marked another failed World Health Organization deadline for neonatal tetanus (NNT) eradication. Existing preventive strategies can be enhanced by exploring factors involved in the persistence of the scourge. Thus, records of neonates admitted between 1996 and 2000 into the Wesley Guil...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Tropical doctor 2007-07, Vol.37 (3), p.165-167
Main Authors: OGUNLESI, Tinuade A, OKENIYI, John A. O, OWA, Joshua A, OYEDEJI, Gabriel A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacterial diseases
Bacterial diseases of the nervous system. Bacterial myositis
Biological and medical sciences
Female
General aspects
History, 20th Century
Human bacterial diseases
Humans
Infant Mortality
Infant, Newborn
Infectious diseases
Male
Medical sciences
Nigeria - epidemiology
Tetanus - epidemiology
Tetanus - mortality
Tetanus - prevention & control
Tetanus Toxoid - administration & dosage
Vaccination
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Summary:The year 2000 marked another failed World Health Organization deadline for neonatal tetanus (NNT) eradication. Existing preventive strategies can be enhanced by exploring factors involved in the persistence of the scourge. Thus, records of neonates admitted between 1996 and 2000 into the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, were analysed. Of 3051 total neonatal admissions,162 (5.3%) had NNT. Eighty-nine (54.9%) mothers had clinic-based antenatal care (ANC), but only 59 (36.4%) had tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccines. The majority (66.7%) of them delivered at home or churches and others at either private clinics or primary health centres. Overall, the case fatality rate was 43.8%, though it was significantly higher among babies whose mothers had neither clinic-based ANC (odds ratio [OR] = 2.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.33-5.18) nor antenatal TT vaccination (OR = 2.41; 95% CI = 1.17-5.03). Thus, improvement on ANC, anti-tetanus immunization and ensuring hygienic deliveries are crucial for eliminating NNT in the 21st century.
ISSN:0049-4755
1758-1133
DOI:10.1258/004947507781524791