Association between maternal and child health care and neonatal death in Angola: a secondary analysis of Angola Demographic Health Survey 2015-16.

Abstract

Background: Neonatal mortality has decreased in Angola; however, it remains high. Quality maternal and child health (MCH) care is key to improving neonatal survival. In Angola, however, the association between neonatal mortality and MCH care has not yet been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the association between neonatal mortality and MCH services in Angola.

Methods: We used the Angola Demographic Health Survey 2015-16, which is the latest nationally representative dataset of Angola. The associations between early/late neonatal death and MCH care utilization were identified by a multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusted by the sex of the child, type of residence, wealth index, caesarian section, size of the child at birth and delivery assisted by skilled birth attendant. The individual sample weight, sample strata for sampling errors/design, and cluster number were incorporated in a descriptive and logistic regression analysis to account for the unequal probability sampling in different strata.

Results: The early and late neonatal mortality rates were 22 and 2 per 1000 live births, respectively. We found that having none, one, two or three tetanus injections before the last pregnancy compared to five or more injections, and no postnatal health check for children before discharge were associated with the occurrence of late neonatal death. During the first 2 days after childbirth, no observation of breastfeeding, no counseling on breastfeeding, no counseling on newborn danger signs, no measurement of child body temperature, and no examination of the cord as well as not checking child health before discharge were associated with early neonatal death.

Conclusions: Doses of maternal tetanus vaccination and postnatal child health check before discharge were modifiable factors associated to late neonatal death. Further studies to improve MCH care coverage are needed.