Abstract:
Background: Neonatal near-miss refers to conditions in which a newborn is on the verge of dying,
but survived, within 27 days of life. Although the concept of neonatal near miss emerging in many
countries, there is limited data about the condition in Garowe, Somalia. Therefore, this study was
conducted to fill in this gap.
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of neonatal near miss and its
associated factors among neonates delivered to selected health intuitions at Garowe City, Puntland
from June 01-29 2024.
Methods: An institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted among randomly
selected 375 neonates. Data were collected by trained nurses using face-to-face interview using a
standard checklist pre-tested in similar health facilities. Neonatal near miss was defined as having
any of the pragmatic or management criteria. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and
exported to Stata version 14.0 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression were
done to identify factors associated with neonatal near miss. The overall fitness of the model was
checked by hosmer-lemeshow fitness model. Level of statistical significance was declared at p
value < 0.05.
Results The prevalence of neonatal near miss was found to be 48.2% (95% CI: 43%, 53%). Factors
associated with neonatal near miss included neonates born to daily laborer mothers (AOR = 5.43;
95% CI: 1.78-16.55), history of abortion (AOR = 2.83; 95% CI: 1.55-5.19) and TT vaccinated
(AOR = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.24-0.39).
Conclusion: Nearly half of neonates in Garowe experienced a near miss event. Maternal
occupation, history of abortion, and neonatal intensive care unit admission were key associated
factors. Health professionals should enhance early identification and follow-up of high-risk
pregnancies and newborns, particularly in mothers with a history of abortion or those engaged in
physically demanding jobs.
