Abstract
BACKGROUND: Neonatal hypothermia is a global concern, contributing significantly to neonatal mortality. Lack of thermal protection is a significant challenge for newborns' survival in low- and middle-income countries, including Rwanda. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of neonatal hypothermia and associated risk factors in the neonatology unit at a Referral Hospital in the Northern Province. METHOD: A cross-sectional quantitative study design and a convenient sampling strategy were used. The study sample was comprised of 303 neonates admitted to the neonatology unit from October 2021 to January 2022. The frequency distribution was calculated, and Chi-square and logistic regression were used to determine the associations. RESULTS: The prevalence of neonatal hypothermia was 65.3%. The factors associated with hypothermia: having adolescent mothers (aOR = 26.9), prematurity (aOR = 9.4), not being breastfed within 1 hour of delivery (aOR = 9.7), health problems (aOR = 6.9), low birth weight (aOR = 10.3), night delivery (aOR = 6.0), and multiple births (aOR = 29.7). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypothermia was high during the study period. Therefore, special attention to thermal care of the identified at-risk neonates is imperative to reduce morbidity and mortality in this vulnerable population.