Neonatal morbidity near miss in tertiary hospitals in a capital of Northeast Brazil

Objective: To characterize near miss neonatal morbidity in tertiary hospitals in a capital city of Northeast Brazil based on Health Information Systems, and to identify differences regarding indicators of near miss cases, allowing the surveillance of newborns with risk of death. Methods: A cross-sectional study carried out in hospitals with neonatal intensive care unit, whose neonatal near miss cases in 2012 were identified from a deterministic linkage between the Mortality Information System and the Live Birth Information System. The biological variables of children, variables related to maternal characteristics and indicators of near miss were calculated by type of service and hospital. Biological variables of children, variables related to maternal characteristics and near miss indicators were calculated by service type and hospital and then compared by ratio difference test, parametric and nonparametric tests for measures of central tendency. Results: Of 24,254 live births, 2,098 cases of neonatal morbidity near miss were identified, most of them concentrated in the public hospitals (89.9%). The combination of birth weight and gestational age had the largest number of cases in both segments, public (43.5%) and private (46%). Variations in neonatal near miss indicators were observed between hospitals, which suggests assistance problems. Conclusions: The concept of neonatal near miss, its applicability with data from Health Information Systems, and its indicators are a preliminary tool to monitor hospital care for newborns by signaling health services that require in-depth evaluation and investments for quality improvement.