title: Effects of Community-Based Newborn Care Intervention on Neonate Health Status in a District of Tehran (Iran).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the effects of community-based interventions on the Neonatal Health Index in one district of Tehran-Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community and healthcare center-based study was carried out from January 2011 through September 2014. The population of the study included newborns from mothers residing in the 4(th) district of Tehran, Iran. Demographic data of mothers and infants were recorded in questionnaires before and after intervention. Interventions were implemented in hospitals, participants' homes, and health centers. The primary outcomes were comparison of mean birth weight, weight gain during the first 3-7 days, first week visit rate, hospitalization rate between the before and after intervention groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The populations in the before and after intervention groups were 274 and 250, respectively. A significant difference was seen between the gestational ages (P value = 0.007) of the two groups. Mean birth height in the first group was 50.35 ± 3.48 and in the second group was 55 ± 5.32 cm (P value = 0.04). Neonatal complications in the second group were 6.9% lower than in the first group (P value = 0.048). In the first group 41 neonates (15%) were hospitalized in the NICU while in the second group 12 cases (4.8%) were hospitalized (P value = 0.018). Seven cases (2.6%) in the first group and one case (0.4%) in the second group were resuscitated (P value = 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of implementing community-based newborn care strategies witnessed at the first week postnatal visit included improvements inneonatal gestational growth, management of neonates with potentially serious illnesses, diagnosis of warning signs and neonatal care practices.
authors.affiliation: Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nayeri
authors.affiliation: Breast Feeding Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hosein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dalili
authors.affiliation: Health Deputies, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Kazem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shahzadeh Fazeli
authors.affiliation: Health Deputies, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahnaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Delbarpoor Ahmadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Neonatal Health Office, Ministry of Health, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Frozan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Akrami
authors.affiliation: Breast Feeding Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Tahereh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Esmailnia
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Neonatal Health Office, Ministry of Health, Management and Education of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Habibelahi
authors.affiliation: Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mamak
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shariat
keywords: Community-Based; Intervention Packages; Neonatal Health Status