Lessons from improved neonatal survival at Chandigarh.
We observed a significant fall in neonatal mortality in babies weighing less than 2 kg during 1986 as compared to 1973 (7.94% vs 12.88%; p less than 0.005), and in preterm babies the mortality fell from 26.88 to 11.5% (p less than 0.001) during 1986. This was achieved despite 2-3 fold increase in the high risk babies and without any increase in the number of neonatal special care beds or nurses. Effective utilisation of the facilities was made possible through: (a) reduction in admissions to neonatal special care unit of babies with birth weight more than 1500 g; (b) early discharge of babies to home from NSCU; (c) involvement of the mothers in the care of their high risk babies: and (d) care of babies with sucking difficulties and asymptomatic birth asphyxia outside NSCU. All babies discharged home at less than 2 kg weight, and living in Chandigarh were followed for 3 months and 98.2% were doing well. This observation highlights the judicious use of neonatal special care facilities and mothers for the care of high risk neonates.
Bhakoo
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ON
Khajuria
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R
Desai
A
A
Narang
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A
D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*