Neonatal deaths from preventable causes in a centraleastern Brazilian capital from 2015 to 2018

Abstract

Objective To analyze the evolution of neonatal deaths due to preventable causes in a capital city of the Brazilian center-west region from 2015 to 2018. Methods This descriptive and retrospective study analyzed preventable neonatal deaths occurring in Cuiabá (MT) using data from information systems. Deaths were classified according to the list of preventable causes of death after interventions carried out in the Unified Health System were then analyzed by descriptive statistics. Results A total of 331 neonatal deaths were identified; of these, 245 (74.0%) would be avoidable with adequate attention in the Unified Health System. The preventable neonatal deaths were due to inadequate care for women during pregnancy (132; 54.0%), inadequate care for fetuses and newborns (76; 31.0%), and inadequate care for women during childbirth (34; 13, 9%). Conclusion In the capital studied, preventable neonatal mortality remains high and requires investment to improve Health Care for this clientele.