Rural neonatal care: Dahanu experience

The Rural Neonatal Care Project, started by the Government of Maharashtra in the Ganjad Primary Health Centre, Dahanu block in Maharashtra, had the TBA as the sheet anchor for delivery of neonatal care. Maintenance of "warm chain" and resuscitation of an asphyxiated baby were recognized as the most important interventions besides detection of a very low birth weight/preterm baby and safe transportation of such a baby. Foot length measurement from foot print was used as a surrogate to birth weight as an indicator for referral. Neonatal and perinatal mortality rates dropped appreciably over 3 years and the antenatal registration went up by 30%. The cost of this programme is affordable and the programme itself was acceptable to the community and the TBAs because of its simplicity.