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Background: The neonatal period is the riskiest time for child survival. Globally, 2.4 million children died in the first month of life in 2020, and there are approximately 6,700 newborn deaths every day. In this study, the authors have evaluated the causes of death among infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, for five years, since 2015. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on all neonates who died in the NICU under study. Data were collected through one of the proposed questionnaires of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (NOHME), known as the “Green Questionnaire for the Study of the Dead Infant”. The data were recorded regarding asphyxia, congenital anomalies, sepsis or infection, respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), disseminated intravascular coagulation, pneumothorax, seizures, and the date of death. The extracted data were categorized and analyzed by the SPSS software (version 16). Babies who died at more than 28 days of age were excluded. Results: Totally, 501 out of 4,348 NICU admissions died (11.52%), 54.5% of whom were male and 45.5% female. The mean birth weight was 1,658±1,018 grams, and the mean gestational age was 32±6 weeks. Most of them were between days one to six. The most common causes of NICU-Mortality Rate (MR) were RDS, congenital heart disease, and congenital anomalies, in descending order. The hospital under study recently expanded to a referral center for congenital heart disease in the east of Iran, which affected the NICU-MR in the ward under study. After the omission of congenital heart disease, the NICU-MR was 10.1%. Conclusion: The NICU-MR was 10.1-11.5% in this study. After RDS, the second cause of death was congenital heart disease. As it is a new division in the hospital under study, it is hoped to get better improvement in congenital heart disease management.

Background & aim: Neonatal mortality rate (NMR) is an important health index, which reflects the socio-economic and health status of a community. According to the literature, almost 20% of NMR can be prevented through the implementation of simple resuscitative interventions. This study was conducted to review the neonatal outcomes and resuscitation rate of neonates. Methods: This record review was carried out using records of 4683 birth from March 2016 to March 2017 in Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. The variables reviewed included the birth conditions, neonatal outcomes and resuscitation interventions. The data were collected using a self-structured record form and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The findings showed 179 neonatal deaths out of 4683 births (including those who were born dead or the ones who died shortly after birth in delivery rooms). NMR was 3.8% in the current study. The rate of cesarean deliveries was 5% higher than normal vaginal delivery rate. Moreover, 18% of births were related to the gestational age lower than 36 weeks. The rate of low and very low birth weight infants was 6.42% of births. Approximately, 20% of the newly born infants were resuscitated. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that Imam Reza Hospital of Mashhad, Iran was not in a good condition compared to the developed countries, in terms of the status of births, mortality rate, and resuscitation interventions.Background & aim: Neonatal mortality rate (NMR) is an important health index, which reflects the socio-economic and health status of a community. According to the literature, almost 20% of NMR can be prevented through the implementation of simple resuscitative interventions. This study was conducted to review the neonatal outcomes and resuscitation rate of neonates. Methods: This record review was carried out using records of 4683 birth from March 2016 to March 2017 in Imam Reza Hospital, Mashhad, Iran. The variables reviewed included the birth conditions, neonatal outcomes and resuscitation interventions. The data were collected using a self-structured record form and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The findings showed 179 neonatal deaths out of 4683 births (including those who were born dead or the ones who died shortly after birth in delivery rooms). NMR was 3.8% in the current study. The rate of cesarean deliveries was 5% higher than normal vaginal delivery rate. Moreover, 18% of births were related to the gestational age lower than 36 weeks. The rate of low and very low birth weight infants was 6.42% of births. Approximately, 20% of the newly born infants were resuscitated. Conclusion: The results of this study revealed that Imam Reza Hospital of Mashhad, Iran was not in a good condition compared to the developed countries, in terms of the status of births, mortality rate, and resuscitation interventions.

Background: Although many efforts made for the advancement of medical science, it is distributed inequitably despite of all existing financial and human resources facilities. Children as the most important and vulnerable groups of society are influenced by these inequities. The Objective of this study is comparison of children health indices in rich and poor rural zones in Mashhad/Iran. Methods: This is a cross sectional study, We considered a poor (Andad) and a rich (Toos) zones to compared for some health indices. We compared some indices like: maternal mortality rate (MMR), neonatal mortality rate (NMR), children under 1 (IMR) and under 5 years mortality rate (U5MR), low birth weight prevalence (LBW), exclusive breast feeding (EBF) and fertility rate. Data collected with check list and analyzed by SPSS-11.5. Results: in our study in two poor (Andad) and rich (Toos) zones we have: Neonatal mortality rate (zero versus 5.46) (P=0.00); breast feeding indices like exclusive breast feeding indices up to 6 month (54.4% versus 79%) (P=0.01); have significant differences between two zones. But fertility rate indices like total fertility rate (2.09 versus 1.95) (p=0.98) and Mean children mortality rates during 2011-2013 like children less than 5 years mortality (18.65 versus 12.13 per thousand live birth) (p=0.29) does not have statistically significant differences. Conclusion: This study shows that health indices in rich and poor zones, have significant differences