Assessment of essential newborn care services for low birth weight babies in rural Lucknow, India

Abstract

Majority of the death during neonatal period occur due to the low birth weight. So reduction of the neonatal mortality, availability of neonatal care service especially for low birth weight babies were required at the primary and secondary health care level. For this first assessment of actual condition of health services of essential newborn care for low birth weight were required. So the objective of the study was to assess the essential newborn care services for low birth weight babies in rural Lucknow. The facility based survey was conducted from Oct 2011 to May 2012 in rural area of Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh in 9 community health centres and 9 primary health centres. Multistage random sampling was used for the reaching up to the PHCs. For facility assessment regarding neonatal care services for low birth weight infrastructure, manpower, equipments related to newborn care were assessed. Only four (44.4%) primary health centres had separate labour room. About 11.1 percent PHCs had newborn care corner and adequate light in labour room. Only one PHC had regular electricity supply. Most of the primary health centres (77.8%) had one general duty medical officer. availability of essential newborn care equipment was found to be grossly inadequate in almost all the primary health centres. No primary health centre had baby weighing scale and radiant warmer. Majority of PHCs did not have suction pumps, resuscitation bags with masks, oxygen facilities and IV infusion facilities. There were inadequate neonatal care services at the primary health care level. For the improvement of the neonatal health, strengthening of the neonatal care services especially for low birth weight is required at primary health care level.