Tetanus neonatorum constitutes one of the major public health problems. The aim of this work was to study the magnitude of tetanus neonatorum problem and to find out the factors associated with morbidity and mortality of the disease in Kalyobia governorate.
It was found that tetanus neonatorum constituted 1.9% of the total cases admitted to Benha fever hospital. The incidence rate of neonatal tetanus in the catchment area during the year of the study was six per thousand and the case fatality rate of the disease was 53.7% . The highest percentage of admitted cases was met with during Autumn and Summer seasons. Males were more affected than females (75.8% & 24.2% respectively) and 86.3% of cases were rural infants. Also 90.5% of cases were born to multiparous mothers.
The prognosis of tetanus neonatorum was better; with older age of the infant at the onset of the disease, with younger mothers, among cases of vaccinated mothers and with two doses than with one dose of tetanus toxoid.
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