Researchers from Peking University conducted an in-depth study of the epidemic status, global trends and risk factors of 15 common neonatal infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 1990 to 2019. The study, which was published on Health Data Scienceprovides a comprehensive overview of changes in incidence and mortality rates, identifying key trends and potential areas for targeted public health interventions to improve neonatal health outcomes.
Neonatal infectious diseases remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in LMICs, where newborns are particularly vulnerable to infections due to inadequate immune systems and poor health care infrastructure. The study, led by Chenyuan Qin, a PhD candidate at Peking University’s School of Public Health, and corresponding author Jue Liu, a Senior Research Fellow at the same institution, analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 to understand the burden of 15 types neonatal infectious diseases. These diseases include neonatal sepsis, enteric infections, upper respiratory infections (URIs), lower respiratory infections (LRIs) and others.
Our study provides critical insights into trends and disparities in neonatal infectious diseases in LMICs over the past three decades. We observed that while there has been a general decrease in mortality rates from neonatal infections, the incidence rates of certain infections, such as neonatal sepsis and otitis media, have shown slight increases in all regions.”
Jue Liu, Senior Researcher, School of Public Health, Peking University
The study used data from 131 LMICs, covering 15 common neonatal infectious diseases, and examined changes in incidence and mortality rates from 1990 to 2019. The researchers used standardized tools and regression models to calculate estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) and the 95% uncertainty interval. to ensure statistical robustness. The findings revealed that while diseases such as tetanus and tuberculosis showed significant reductions in incidence, neonatal sepsis and other neonatal infections showed slight increases.
The highest incidence rates in 2019 were for enteric infections and URIs, with significant variation between regions. LICs had higher rates of enteric infections, while UMCs reported higher rates of URIs. Mortality rates also showed regional differences, with neonatal sepsis and LRIs remaining the leading causes of death. Interestingly, the study found that higher sociodemographic index (SDI) and universal health coverage index (UHCI) were generally associated with a reduced burden of disease, although some exceptions, such as neonatal sepsis, were observed.
Moving forward, the team aims to explore the underlying reasons for the observed trends in disease burden and develop targeted strategies to reduce the incidence and mortality of neonatal infections in LMICs. “Our ultimate goal is to provide evidence-based recommendations to guide public health policies and resource allocation to improve neonatal health outcomes,” Chin added.
Source:
Journal Reference:
Qin, C., et al. (2024). Burden of disease and geographic disparities in 15 types of neonatal infectious diseases in 131 countries and low- and middle-income regions (LMICs). Health Data Science. doi.org/10.34133/hds.0186.
