title: Have neonatal mortality rates in the state of Qatar become static? A PEARL study analysis.
abstract: To ascertain the national neonatal mortality rate in Qatar during the first quarter of 2011 (1 January-31 March), we carried out a prospective pilot national epidemiologic study. Nationwide birth and neonatal mortality data were collected using predesigned, structured questionnaires. To analyse trends over the previous 4 years (2008-2011) we used neonatal mortality data for 2008-2010 from the database of the neonatal unit at the Women's Hospital, annual reports of Hamad Medical Corporation, and published neonatal mortality data for 2010 for comparative analysis. A total of 4909 live births and 21 neonatal deaths were recorded during the study period. The neonatal mortality rate was 4.28/1000 live births (corrected neonatal mortality rate 2.85/1000). The early neonatal mortality rate was 1.84/1000 and the late neonatal mortality rate was 2.44/1000 live births. Fifteen of the 21 neonatal deaths were in non-Qatari babies, reflecting the ethnic distribution in the population. Neonatal mortality rates in Qatar declined very little between 2008 and the first quarter of 2011.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Women's Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: El Ansari
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nimeri
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El Tinay
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salameh
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Yousafzai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bener
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality / Q000208:ethnology / Q000639:trends*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011780:Qatar / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution