The Prevalence of Neonatal Near Misses in Rabat, Morocco

The concept of near-miss neonatal (NMN) is a potentially useful approach in assessing the quality of newborn care. However, data collected on the status of NMN cases in Morocco is scarce. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of NMN cases among live births at the University Hospital of Rabat, Morocco. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 2676 newborns born at the University Hospital of Rabat, Morocco, and admitted to the National Reference Center of Neonatology and Nutrition (NRCN) from January 1 to December 31, 2021. The main inclusion criteria were the pragmatic and/or management markers of the definition of NMN. Data were extracted using a structured, pre-tested checklist, entered into EpiData, and exported to Statistical Software for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), and descriptive statistics were performed. Among the 2676 selected live births, 2367 were NMN cases (88.5%; 95% CI: 88.3-90.7). More than half of new mothers (57.5%) were referrals, 59.9% of women were multiparous, and 78.5% had under four prenatal care consultations. Obstetric problems affected 373 of the women during pregnancy. A pragmatic criterion was met in 43.6% of NMN situations. Among the management criteria, the use of intravenous antibiotics was the most common factor at 56.0%. This study revealed a high prevalence of NMN. Therefore, concerted efforts are needed to improve maternal health care services, including early identification of complications and appropriate management.