| Summary: | Background: Discharge against medical advice (DAMA) is a major public health issue, especially among children owing to its adverse outcome. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and reasons for DAMA among neonates admitted in Federal Medical Centre Birnin (FMCB) Kudu, Jigawa State. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 5 years in the Special Care Baby Unit of FMCB Kudu, Jigawa State. All the case folders of the neonate whose parents signed DAMA were retrieved, and relevant data were extracted. Results: There were 155 cases of neonatal DAMA during the study. Eighty-three were males (53.5%) with an average duration of hospital stay of 4 ± 3.2 days with most DAMA occurring in the 1st week of admission. Neonatal infections, birth asphyxia, and prematurity were the most common diagnoses. Financial constraint was the major reason for DAMA. Fathers were the signatories in the majority of cases. Conclusion: DAMA is prevalent and is mainly due to socio-cultural and economic factors.
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