title: Status of maternal and new born care at first referral units in the state of West Bengal.
abstract: A study was conducted in 12 First Referral Units (FRUs), selected through multistage sampling, from 6 districts of West Bengal. Infrastructure facilities, record keeping, referral system and MCH indicators related to newborn care were documented. Data was collected by review of records, interview and observation using a pre-designed proforma. Inadequate infrastructure facilities (e.g. no sanctioned posts of specialists, no blood bank at rural hospitals declared as First Referral Units etc.); poor utilization of equipment like neonatal resuscitation sets, radiant warmer etc, lack of training of the service providers were evident. Records/registers were available but incomplete. Referral system was found to be almost nonexistent. Most of the deliveries (86.1%) were normal delivery. Deliveries (87.71%) and immediate neonatal resuscitation (94.9%) were done mostly by nursing personnel. Institution based maternal, perinatal and early neonatal mortality rates were found to be 5.6, 62.4 and 25.2 per 1000 live births respectively. Eclampsia (48.9%), hemorrhage (17.7%), puerperal sepsis (7.1%) were reported to be major causes of maternal mortality. Common causes of early neonatal mortality were birth asphyxia (54.3%), sepsis (14.6%) and prematurity/LBW (12.4%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, R. G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Biswas
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nandy
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Datta
mesh_terms: D004282:Documentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007224:Infant Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D012017:Referral and Consultation