Proportion and factors associated with fetal adverse birth outcome among mothers who gave birth at Felege Hiwot Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Bahir Dar city, Northwest, Ethiopia 2019.

Introduction: fetal adverse birth outcomes are abnormal outcomes such as prematurity, low birth weight, stillbirth, and birth defects. It is the main cause of neonatal and child deaths in the world and is the major public health problem in developing countries including Ethiopia. This study aims to assess the proportion and factors associated with fetal adverse birth outcomes among mothers who gave birth at Felege Hiwot Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Bahir Dar city, North-west, Ethiopia 2019.

Methods: institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1- to April 30 in 2019 among 371 delivered mothers. The data were collected by systematic random sampling technique, entered into a computer using Epi data 3.5, and analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 23.0. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done to estimate the crude and adjusted odds ratio with a confidence interval of 95% and a P-value of less than 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results: in this study, the proportion of fetal adverse birth outcome was 33.2%. Mothers who lived in rural area [AOR=4.37, 95% CI=2.44-7.83], < 4 antenatal care visit [AOR=1.91, 95% CI=1.08-3.40], bad obstetrical history [AOR=2.01, 95% CI=1.03-3.93], complication in the antepartum period [AOR=4.32, 95% CI=2.44-7.65], medical illness [AOR=2.44, 95% CI=1.25-4.79], and maternal hemoglobin level < 11 mg/dl [AOR=4.63, 95% CI=2.40-8.93] were significantly associated with fetal adverse birth outcomes.

Conclusion: the proportion of fetal adverse birth outcomes in this research was high. Living in a rural area, the number of antenatal care visits, bad obstetrical history, current pregnancy complications, medical illness, and hemoglobin levels less than or equal to 11 mg/dl were significantly associated with fetal adverse birth outcomes. Getting full service of antenatal care visits and advance in the quality of maternal health services could minimize fetal adverse birth outcomes.