Growth Faltering Among Discharged Babies from Inpatient Newborn Care Facilities: Learnings from Two Districts of Himachal Pradesh
Indian Pediatr
; 2022 Oct; 59(10): 763-768
Article
| IMSEAR
| ID: sea-225374
ABSTRACT
Objective:
To determine the burden of early growth faltering and understand the care practices for small and sick babies discharged from newborn units in the district. Studydesign:
Observational and follow-up study.Participants:
512 babies discharged from two Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) and four Newborn Stabilization Units (NBSUs) in two districts of Himachal Pradesh.Methods:
Anthropometric assessments, interview of mothers and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) conducted between August, 2018 and March, 2019. Change in weight-forage z-score (?WAZ) of <-0.67SD between birth and assessment was used to define growth faltering.Outcomes:
Proportion of growth faltering (or catch-down growth) in small and sick babies discharged from SNCUs and NBSUs, and infant care practices.Results:
Growth faltering was observed in a significant proportion of both term (30%) and preterm (52.6%) babies between 1 to 4 months of age. Among babies with growth faltering (n=180), 73.9% received a home visit by ASHA, and only 36.7% received a follow-up visit at a facility. There were 71.3% mothers counselled at discharge (mostly informed about breast feeding). Most (96.7%) mothers did not perceive inadequate weight gain in their babies post-discharge. During home visits, ASHAs weighed 61.6% of the infants with growth faltering. Amongst infants who had growth faltering, only 49.6% of mothers had been provided information about their infant’s growth and 57.1% mothers had received breastfeeding counselling.Conclusion:
Small and sick newborn infants (both term and preterm babies) discharged from special care newborn units are at increased risk of early growth faltering. Follow-up care provided to these infants is inadequate. There is a need to strengthen both facility-based and home-based follow up of small and sick newborn infants discharged from newborn care facilities.
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Index:
IMSEAR
Journal:
Indian Pediatr
Year:
2022
Type:
Article