Prevalence and factors associated with neonatal sepsis in a tertiary hospital, North West Nigeria

Context: Neonatal sepsis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality of newborns, especially in developing countries. Aims: Our study determined the prevalence of neonatal sepsis and its predisposing factors among neonates admitted in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH). Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in ABUTH. Subjects and Methods: The data were abstracted from the case notes of neonates admitted from May 2017 to May 2018. A pretested pro forma was used to abstract the data. Statistical Analysis Used: Odds ratios and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the factors associated with neonatal sepsis among the study population. Results: The prevalence of neonatal sepsis was 37.6%. Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated organism. Neonates 0–7 days of age were 2.8 times less likely to develop neonatal sepsis than older neonates. Babies born with an Apgar score of