title: Using three delays model to understand the social factors responsible for neonatal deaths in rural Haryana, India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate causes of and contributors to newborn deaths in rural Haryana using a three delays audit approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in 28 villages under the rural field practice area of the Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project, All India Institute of Medical Sciences situated in Ballabgarh, Haryana. Data were collected through house visits and analysed using the three delays model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 50 newborn deaths investigated, 44% occurred within the first 24 h after birth. The leading causes of death were pre-term/low birthweight (32%), birth asphyxia (28%) and neonatal sepsis (14%). Major contributing delays to neonatal death were caretaker's delay in deciding to seek care (44%, 22/50) and delay in reaching a health care facility, i.e. the transport delay (34%, 17/50).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Household and transport-related delays were the major contributors to newborn deaths, and efforts to improve newborn survival need to address both concurrently.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India.
authors.forename: Ravi Prakash
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Upadhyay
authors.forename: Sanjay K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krishnan
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002423:Cause of Death; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011159:Population Surveillance; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors