Integrated Maternal and Newborn Care Basic Skills Course ...

Reference Manual
4 Million Newborn Deaths:
When do newborn babies die?
Up to 50%
of neonatal
deaths are in
the first 24 hours
75% of neonatal
deaths are in
the first week –
3 million deaths
Time
when most babies die is
when coverage of
quality care is lowest
5
Figure Intro. 3. When do newborns die?
Adapted with permission from Elsevier (The Lancet, 2005, Vol 365, pg. 13)
Strategies to improve newborn health need to address policy issues, the supply side of health
system strengthening, and the demand side at home and in the community to improve family
behaviors. Current pre-service training for doctors, nurses, and midwives in essential newborn
care has often been inadequate and at times inappropriate, so that health workers upon
completion of their undergraduate course often lack basic skills in this area, including prevention
and treatment of infections and birth asphyxia. Continuing education programs in newborn care
are therefore essential to improving health worker skills. Still other support is needed to improve
supervision and to provide and maintain basic equipment and supplies.
Since the health and survival of the newborn are closely tied to that of the mother, it is important
to integrate maternal and newborn health care into training programs wherever possible.
Although it is not feasible to integrate all aspects of maternal and newborn care, this set of
materials links selected aspects, including active management of the third stage of labor with
care of the baby at birth, resuscitation for birth asphyxia, postnatal care of the mother and the
baby, basic examination of the baby, care of the low birth weight infant, and prevention and
treatment of major and minor infections.
Integrated maternal and newborn care
Basic skills course
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