Neonatal tetanus is unfortunately still seen in southeast Turkey. Twenty-four patients with neonatal tetanus who were admitted to our clinic between January 1999 and December 2002 were reviewed retrospectively according to clinical features, prognostic aspects and risk factors. Sixteen of 24 cases were male and their ages were from 2 to 15 days. Fever and lack of sucking reflex were the main complaints the admission. Lack of sucking (100%), trismus (79%), fever (58%), risus sardonicus (29%), omphalitis (33%), and opisthotonus (17%) were the most common presenting signs. Untrained traditional birth attendants delivered all the patients at home, and umbilical cords were cut using non-hygienic instruments. Seventy-five percent of the patients who were admitted died. The most important risk factors were uneducated parents, birth at home, cutting of cords using non-hygienic instruments, failure to give mothers tetanus toxoid immunizations during pregnancy, and poor health and sanitary conditions of the mothers and their babies.

Keywords: neonatal tetanoz, eğitim ve sağlık hizmeti, aşılama, risk faktörleri, neonatal tetanus, health and education service, vaccination, risk factors