Table 1. Summary of studies that reported day-specific mortality.
| Study/country | Methods | Study population | Sample size | Summary | Results | Quality | Limitations/comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baqui et al.,7 India | Prospective | Data from two districts of Uttar Pradesh | Neonatal deaths: 618 | Data collected by data collectors Cause of death assigned by WHO VA algorithm | Day 0: 197 (31.8%) Day 1: 48 (7.8%) Day 2: 62 (10%) Day 3: 46 (7.4%) Day 4: 25 (4%) Day 5: 28 (4.5%) Day 6: 31 (5%) Week 2: 92 (14.9%) Weeks 3–4: 89 (14.4%) | Moderate (prospective data collection) | |
| ICMR Young Infant Study Group,26 India | Cross-sectional survey from January to July 2003 | Data from rural sites in five states of Uttar Pradesh | Neonatal deaths: 1521 | VA | Day 0: 598 (39.3%) Day 1: 111 (7.3%) Day 2: 155 (10.2%) Day 3: 94 (6.2%) Day 4: 84 (5.5%) Day 5: 43 (2.8%) Day 6: 43 (2.8%) Week 2: 192 (12.6%) Weeks 3–4: 199 (13.1%) | Low | |
| Chowdhury et al.,22 Bangladesh | Retrospective; 2003–2004 | Data from HDSS | Neonatal deaths: 365 | VA by interviewers Three physicians assigned the cause of death Agreement of at least two physicians required | Day 0: 136 (37.2%) Day 1: 57 (15.6%) Day 2: 56 (15.3%) Day 3: 30 (8.2%) Day 4: 8 (2.2%) Day 5: 6 (1.6%) Day 6: 6 (1.6%) Week 2: 34 (9.3%) Weeks 3–4: 32 (8.7%) | Low | Population-based data; no details on place of delivery |
| Welaga et al.,8 Ghana | Prospective, 2003–2009 | Data from Navrongo Health Research Centre's HDSS | Neonatal deaths: 424 | Validated VA by trained field supervisors Three physicians reviewed the VA forms and assigned cause of death Agreement of at least two physicians needed | Day 0: 119 (28%) Day 1: 55 (13%) Day 2: 21 (5%) Day 3: 30 (7%) Day 4: 17 (4%) Day 5: 21 (5%) Day 6: 17 (4%) Week 2: 64 (15%) Weeks 3–4: 85 (20%) | Moderate (prospective data collection) | Only proportion of day-wise neonatal deaths available from study (Figure 4). Actual numbers extrapolated from proportions |
| Nga et al.,9 Vietnam | Prospective; July 2008–June 2010 | Data collected from 14 districts of Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam as part of the Knowledge into Practice for Improving Neonatal Survival (NeoKIP) project | Neonatal deaths for whom VA performed: 233 | VA using questionnaire derived from WHO Cause of death assigned by three experienced pediatricians reviewing forms independently | Day 0: 136 (57.1%) Day 1: 15 (6.4) Day 2: 14 (6%) Day 3: 6 (2.6%) Day 4: 4 (1.7%) Day 5: 6 (2.6%) Day 6: 7 (3.0%) Week 2: 24 (10.3%) Weeks 3–4: 21 (9.1%) | Moderate (prospective data collection) | |
| Belizán et al.,10 multicenter | Prospective; October 2009–March 2011 | Seven sites in six countries: Argentina, Guatemala, Kenya, India, Pakistan and Zambia | Neonatal deaths: 3882 | Conducted by Global Network for Women and Children's Health Research | Day 0: (2019) 52% Day 1: (427) 11% Day 2: (272) 7% Day 3: (194) 5% Day 4: (116) 3% Day 5: (78) 2% Day 6: (78) 2% Week 2: (349) 9% Week 3: (233) 6% Week 4: (116) 3% | Data extrapolated from Figure 1 in the original study | |
| Khatun et al.,11 Bangladesh | Prospective; January 2008–December 2009 | Urban slums in Bangladesh | Neonatal deaths: 260 | VA—cause of death assigned by physicians | Day 0: (94) 36% Day 1: (31) 12% Day 2: (23) 9% Day 3: (16) 6% Day 4: (8) 3% Day 5: (10) 4% Day 6: (10) 4% Week 2: (39) 15% Week 3: (17) 6.5% Week 4: (12) 4.5% | Data extrapolated from Figure 2 in the original study | |
| Campbell et al.,23 Egypt | Retrospective | Egypt DHS (January 1998–April 2000) | Neonatal deaths: 117 | Three methods were compared: WHO VA Revised Wigglesworth classification Consensus by two neonatologists | Day 0: 35 (29.9%) Day 1: 8 (6.8%) Day 2: 16 (13.7%) Day 3: 13 (11.1%) Day 4: 6 (5.1%) Day 5: 6 (5.1%) Day 6: 5 (4.3%) Weeks 2–4: 28 (23.9%) | Low | |
| Bang et al.,12 India | Prospective; 1995–1996 | Rural India | Neonatal deaths: 40 | Cause of death assigned by neonatologist based on maternal and neonatal records | Day 0–2: 14 (35%) Days 3–6: 9 (22.5%) Days 8–14: 11 (27.5%) Days 15–28: 6 (15%) | Moderate (prospective data collection) | |
| Edmond et al.,13 Ghana | Prospective; January 2003–June 2004 | Central Ghana | Neonatal deaths: 590 | VA | Day 0: 242 (41%) Days 2–7: 195 (33.1%) Days 8–28: 153 (25.9%) | Moderate (prospective data collection) | |
| Waiswa et al.,14 Uganda | Prospective; January 2005–December 2008 | Iganga/Mayuge districts | Neonatal deaths: 64 | VA | Day 0: 30 (46.8%) Day 1: 8 (12.5%) Days 3–28: 26 (40.6%) | Moderate (prospective data collection) | |
| Bapat et al.,15 India | Prospective; 2005–2007 | 48 slum settlements in Mumbai | Newborn deaths: 210 (but data only available for 116) | VA by trained field researchers Cause of death classified by clinicians | Day 0: 40 (34.5%) Day 1: 12 (10.3%) Day 2: 11 (9.5%) Days 3–6: 24 (20.7%) Weeks 2–4: 29 (25%) | Moderate (prospective data collection) | |
| Upadhyay et al.,27 India | Cross-sectional study 2010 | Data from 28 villages under Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project | Neonatal deaths: 50 | Data collected by interviewing mothers of neonates who died during 2010 using a standardized VA tool Cause of death assigned by three investigators who reviewed forms | Day 0: 22 (44%) Days 1–6: 16 (32%) Weeks 2–4: 12 (24%) | Low | |
| Niswade et al.,16 India | Prospective; November 2006–October 2007 | Data collected by Neonatal Disease Surveillance study in Ramtek Tehsil, Nagpur | Neonatal deaths: 36 | Data collected by study research assistants visiting mothers on days 1, 7 and 28 Active and passive surveillance systems used | Day 0: 15 (41.7%) Day 6: 11 (30.6%) Day 28: 10 (27.8%) | Moderate (prospective data collection) | |
| Rajindrajith et al.,24 Sri Lanka | Retrospective | Data from registrar general's office (1997–2001) | Neonatal deaths: 17 946 | Cause of death assigned by physicians | Early neonatal death: 90.5% Death on day 1: 32% | — | |
| Gill et al.,17 Zambia | Prospective June 2006–November 2008 | Data from Lufwanyama district | Neonatal deaths: 100 Control group: 58 | Data collected by data collectors; helped by birth attendants Cause of death assigned by WHO VA algorithm | Neonatal deaths in control group Days 0–1: 40 (69%) Days 2–27: 18 (31%) | — | Data from the control group of cluster RCT used |
Abbreviations: DHS, Demographic and Health Survey; HDSS, health and demographic surveillance system; ICMR, Indian Council of Medical Research; RCT, randomized controlled trial; VA, verbal autopsy; WHO, World Health Organization.