title: A strategy to increase the number of deliveries with skilled birth attendants in Kenya.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To increase the number of deliveries with skilled birth attendants (SBAs) in Kenyan health facilities, with assistance from traditional birth attendants (TBAs).
  
  
  METHODS
  In the Yatta district of Kenya, TBAs were recruited to attend meetings in which they were encouraged to educate pregnant women about the importance of delivering in health facilities; they were offered a small stipend for each pregnant woman they brought to a facility for SBA delivery. The primary outcome was the percentage of prenatal care patients who delivered at intervention health facilities compared with control facilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the year preceding the intervention, 102/524 (19.5%) and 413/2068 (20.0%) prenatal care patients had SBA deliveries at intervention and control facilities, respectively. During the 1-year study period, 217/440 (49.3%) prenatal care patients delivered at intervention health facilities and 415/1995 (20.8%) delivered at control facilities (P<0.001). Deliveries at intervention facilities increased 113% in the study year compared with the preceding year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The rate of SBA births in health facilities increased when TBAs were recruited and compensated for bringing women to local health facilities to deliver.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM87131, USA. atomedi@salud.unm.edu
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomedi
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tucker
authors.forename: Mutuku A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mwanthi
mesh_terms: D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006268:Health Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008880:Midwifery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy