Birth remains risky for infants in Kathmandu

A recent study from Australia found that intrapartum factors are less important than once thought in the cause of neonatal encephalopathy. On p 1229 Ellis et al show that this finding may not apply to developing countries. In a large controlled study of neonatal encephalopathy in Nepal the authors found that intrapartum risk factors remained important among infants born in an urban maternity hospital. In this setting, with limited peripartum surveillance, the authors found a significant risk with the use of oxytocin for induction of labour. An increased risk was found in infants born to women of short stature or with indirect evidence of anaemia, and there was evidence of a protective effect of antenatal care.

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Relevant Article

Risk factors for neonatal encephalopathy in Kathmandu, Nepal, a developing country: unmatched case-control study

Matthew Ellis, Nilu Manandhar, Dharma S Manandhar, and Anthony M de L Costello
BMJ 2000 320: 1229-1236. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]