There has been little success in attempts to reduce the proportion of births with low birth weight (LBW). However, deaths associated with LBW may be prevented with extra attention to warmth, feeding, and prevention or early treatment of infections. There are few studies on this in Nepal and in many other developing countries. This is a cohort study to evaluate the risk of deaths among LBW infants who received FCHV follow up visit for home-based care compared to those who did not receive in Rural Nepal.
The current study indicates that to save the lives of LBW young infants simple home-based measures implemented through trained health volunteers within the existing government health system may be effective when technically more sophisticated measures such as tertiary health centers, pediatricians, and expensive technology are limited.
Authors: Dinesh Neupane, Penny Dawson, Robin Houston, Liladhar Dhakal, Jaganath Sharma, KC Gargi, Christina Lagos, Vishnu Khanal, Shiva Raj Mishra, Per Kallestrup, 2017
We strive to build lasting relationships to produce better health outcomes for all.
