Document Detail


Household surveillance of severe neonatal illness by community health workers in Mirzapur, Bangladesh: coverage and compliance with referral.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  19917652     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
BACKGROUND: Effective and scalable community-based strategies are needed for identification and management of serious neonatal illness.
METHODS: As part of a community-based, cluster-randomized controlled trial of the impact of a package of maternal-neonatal health care, community health workers (CHWs) were trained to conduct household surveillance and to identify and refer sick newborns according to a clinical algorithm. Assessments of newborns by CHWs at home were linked to hospital-based assessments by physicians, and factors impacting referral, referral compliance and outcome were evaluated.
RESULTS: Seventy-three per cent (7310/10,006) of live-born neonates enrolled in the study were assessed by CHWs at least once; 54% were assessed within 2 days of birth, but only 15% were attended at delivery. Among assessments for which referral was recommended, compliance was verified in 54% (495/919). Referrals recommended to young neonates 0-6 days old were 30% less likely to be complied with compared to older neonates. Compliance was positively associated with having very severe disease and selected clinical signs, including respiratory rate > or = 70/minute; weak, abnormal or absent cry; lethargic or less than normal movement; and feeding problem. Among 239 neonates who died, only 38% were assessed by a CHW before death.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite rigorous programmatic effort, reaching neonates within the first 2 days after birth remained a challenge, and parental compliance with referral recommendation was limited, particularly among young neonates. To optimize potential impact, community postnatal surveillance must be coupled with skilled attendance at delivery, and/or a worker skilled in recognition of neonatal illness must be placed in close proximity to the community to allow for rapid case management to avert early deaths.
Authors:
Gary L Darmstadt; Shams El Arifeen; Yoonjoung Choi; Sanwarul Bari; Syed M Rahman; Ishtiaq Mannan; Peter J Winch; A S M Nawshad Uddin Ahmed; Habibur Rahman Seraji; Nazma Begum; Robert E Black; Mathuram Santosham; Abdullah H Baqui;
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.     Date:  2009-11-16
Journal Detail:
Title:  Health policy and planning     Volume:  25     ISSN:  1460-2237     ISO Abbreviation:  Health Policy Plan     Publication Date:  2010 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-02-16     Completed Date:  2010-05-14     Revised Date:  2013-05-31    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8610614     Medline TA:  Health Policy Plan     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  112-24     Citation Subset:  H    
Affiliation:
Department of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. gdarmsta@jhsph.edu
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Bangladesh
Community Health Services*
Community Health Workers*
Female
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Male
Maternal Health Services*
Neonatal Screening*
Program Evaluation
Rural Health Services
Severity of Illness Index*
Young Adult
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
D43 TW007587-04/TW/FIC NIH HHS; //Wellcome Trust
Comments/Corrections

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