Introduction: The health of the newborns proximally affected by maternal bad obstetric history like previous still births and abortion. This study was conducted to assess the effects of stillbirth and abortion on the birth weight of subsequent newborn, to estimate the effects of stillbirth and abortion on the newborn serum concentration f zinc and iron, and to assess the effects of stillbirth and abortion in the health of subsequent infants.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was implemented. The data were collected from January 2015 to August 2019.  The sample size was calculated using Epi-info software version 7 with the assumption of 95 % CI, 90 % power, previous bad obstetric outcomes to good obstetric outcomes ratio of 1:2, risk ratio of 1.2 and 10 % none response rate.  The study participants were selected using simple random sampling technique. The data were collected using interviewing the pregnant mothers, reviewing medical charts, analyzing the blood samples from the newborn, and scheduled medical checkups. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the profile of study participants, general linear model (GLM, multivariate) was used to assess the effects of stillbirth and abortion on the health of the newborn, Poisson regression was used to identify the predictors of childhood infectious diseases episodes and Kaplan Meier survival curves were used to estimate time to childhood pneumonia and diarrhea.

Results: A total of 2872 infants were included giving for the response rate of 88.97 %. Neonate born from mothers with previous history of stillbirth or abortion had low birth weight, low serum iron and zinc levels. High infection episodes of diarrheal and pneumonia were observed among infants born from previous history of stillbirth and abortion mothers.  The infection episodes during the childhood period determined by serum zinc level [IRR 0.71; 95 % CI 0.61- 0.83], birth weight [IRR 0.86; 95 % CI 0.81 – 0.91], breast feeding frequency [IRR 0.9; 95 % CI 0.87-0.93].

Conclusion: the birth weight, the serum iron and zinc levels of neonates born from previous history of stillbirth and abortion were lower. High infection rate of infants were observed with maternal history of stillbirth and abortion.

Keywords: Newborn effects; abortion; stillbirth; infections.