Factors associated with early discontinuation of follow-up in premature infants at the Yaoundé Gynaeco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital, Cameroon

Abstract

Introduction: Prematurity is a risk factor for long-term sequelae. It requires monitoring which is likely to be hampered by several factors. Our study aimed to determine the factors associated with discontinuation of follow-up in premature infants during the first year of life.

Methodology: we conducted a retrospective cohort study including 601 premature infants released alive from the hospital between January 2015 and July 2016. A telephone survey of parents or guardians made it possible to collect data on the reasons for discontinuing follow-up. Chi-square test and odds ratios were used to find associated factors. The significance level was p≤0.05.

Results: The loss to follow-up rate was 88.6% at 12 months, with 64.5% occurring in the first two months. The associated independent factors were: maternal age <30 years which increased the risk of discontinuing follow-up while birth weight <1500 g and higher level of education reduced this risk. The main reasons for abandoning follow-up were: the child's apparent good health (38.1%), the distance from home (28.7%), the lack of information regarding appointments (17.2%) and financial issues (14%).

Conclusion: Almost 9 in 10 premature babies are lost to follow-up by the age of 12 months. Monitoring could be reinforced by providing written information to parents or guardians, by scheduling appointments with a family reminder system and by setting up
a network dedicated to the follow-up of premature babies.