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Enhancing neonatal survival: what can we do today?
1Department of Paediatrics, Pacific Medical College and Hospital, Udaipur, India.
Insights
Improving care for preterm and low birth weight babies in low-resource settings is crucial. Enhanced interventions significantly boosted survival rates for both very low birth weight (VLBW) and moderately low birth weight (MLBW) infants.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal care
- Pediatric survival rates
- Global child mortality reduction
Background:
- Neonatal deaths constitute 44% of under-5 mortality globally.
- Preterm birth complications are the leading cause of neonatal mortality.
- Effective care strategies for preterm/low birth weight infants are vital in resource-limited settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define essential components of care for preterm and low birth weight infants.
- To outline care protocols for first-level health facilities and first referral units (FRUs).
- To improve survival rates in low-resource neonatal care environments.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of weight-specific survival rates across three healthcare facilities.
- Implementation of tiered interventions including warmth, feeding, antibiotics, improved birth care, oxygen availability, and dopamine.
- Evaluation of intervention effectiveness based on historical data and facility type.
Main Results:
- Initial interventions (warmth, feeding, antibiotics) improved very low birth weight (VLBW) survival to 50-55%.
- Addition of oxygen and improved birth care increased VLBW survival to 56-58% and moderately low birth weight (MLBW) survival to 84-86%.
- A rural hospital achieved higher survival rates (VLBW 61.5%, MLBW 92.5%) with fewer resources and staff.
Conclusions:
- First-level facilities can manage stable preterm/low birth weight infants (>1500g, no respiratory distress).
- First referral units (FRUs) are suitable for moderately low birth weight (MLBW) infants and very low birth weight (VLBW) infants without respiratory distress.
- Resource-limited settings can achieve significant improvements in neonatal survival with targeted care strategies.
Objective:
Neonatal deaths account for 44% of the world's under-5 child mortality. Over half of all neonatal deaths globally occur in preterm babies. Therefore, improving care of a preterm baby is particularly important to reduce under-5 mortality. The objective of this study was to spell out components of care of preterm/low birth weight babies at first level health facility and at first referral unit (FRU) in low resource settings.
Study Design:
We have analyzed weight-wise survivals at two hospitals attached to medical colleges, J.J. Hospital, Mumbai and General Hospital, Talegaon, and at Rural Hospital, Dahanu. There were three-tier interventions: (i) warmth+ feeding and antibiotics, (ii) improved care at birth plus increased oxygen availability and (iii) use of dopamine. J.J. Hospital went through all these stages one after another; General Hospital had all three going simultaneously. The Rural Hospital had a 1+2.
Results:
During 1978 to 1984, J.J. Hospital saved 50 to 55% very low birth weight (VLBW) babies by providing warmth, feeding and antibiotics. This percentage increased to 56 to 58%, when adequate oxygen and good care at birth was available (1984 to 1989). For babies in the moderately low birth weight category (MLBW), 1500 to 2000 g at birth, the corresponding figures were 56 to 58% and 84 to 86%. The same interventions led to statistically significant decline in MLBW and VLBW categories at General Hospital, Talegaon (2010 to 2013). The Rural Hospital, Dahanu (1987 to 1992) achieved better survival rates in VLBW (61.5%) and MLBW (92.5%) categories with identical interventions and less staff.
Conclusion:
On the basis of our results, we suggest that in resource-limited settings, the first level health facility may be able to look after short-stay babies that weigh more than 1500 g and that have no respiratory distress. The FRU may look after MLBW babies, with or without respiratory distress, and VLBW babies without respiratory distress by giving special care.
