Improved obstetric management after implementation of a scaled-up quality improvement intervention: A nested before-after study in three public hospitals in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the change in obstetric management after implementation of a quality improvement intervention, the Nepal Perinatal Quality Improvement Package (NePeriQIP). METHODS: The Nepal Perinatal Quality Improvement Package was a stepped-wedge cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in 12 public hospitals in Nepal between April 2017 and October 2018. In this study, three hospitals allocated at different time points to the intervention were selected for a nested before-after analysis. We used bivariate and multivariate analyses to compare obstetric management in the control vs intervention group. RESULTS: There were 25 977 deliveries in the three hospitals during the study period: 10 207 (39%) in the control and 15 770 (61%) in the intervention group. After adjusting for maternal age, ethnicity, education, gestational age, stage of labor at admission, complications during labor, and birthweight, the intervention group had a higher proportion of fetal heart rate monitoring performed as per protocol (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-1.27), shorter time intervals between each fetal heart rate monitoring (aOR 2.09, 95% CI 1.96-2.23), a higher likelihood of abnormal fetal heart rate being detected (aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.25-1.68), progress of labor more often being recorded immediately after per vaginal examination (aOR 2.73, 95% CI 2.55-2.93), and partograph filled as per standards (aOR 3.18, 95% CI 2.98-3.50). The cesarean birth rate was 2.5% in the control group and 8.2% in the intervention group (aOR 3.12, 95% CI 2.64-3.68). CONCLUSIONS: The NePeriQIP intervention has potential to improve obstetric care, especially intrapartum fetal surveillance, in similar low-resource settings.

Mistreatment during childbirth and postnatal period reported by women in Nepal -a multicentric prevalence study.

INTRODUCTION: Trust of women and families toward health institutions has led to increased use of their services for childbirth. Whilst unpleasant experience of care during childbirth will halt this achievement and have adverse consequences. We examined the experience of women regarding the care received during childbirth in health institutions in Nepal. METHOD: A prospective cohort study conducted in 11 hospitals in Nepal for a period of 18 months. Using a semi-structured questionnaire based on the typology of mistreatment during childbirth, information on childbirth experience was gathered from women (n = 62,926) at the time of discharge. Using those variables, principal component analysis was conducted to create a single mistreatment index. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the association of the mistreatment index with sociodemographic, obstetric and newborn characteristics. RESULT: A total of 62,926 women were consented and enrolled in the study. Of those women, 84.3% had no opportunity to discuss any concerns, 80.4% were not adequately informed before providing care, and 1.5% of them were refused for care due to inability to pay. According to multivariate regression analysis, women 35 years or older (ß, - 0.3587; p-value, 0.000) or 30-34 years old (ß,- 0.38013; p-value, 0.000) were less likely to be mistreated compared to women aged 18 years or younger. Women from a relatively disadvantaged (Dalit) ethnic group were more likely to be mistreated (ß, 0.29596; p-value, 0.000) compared to a relatively advantaged (Chettri) ethnic group. Newborns who were born preterm (ß, - 0.05988; p-value, 0.000) were less likely to be mistreated than those born at term. CONCLUSION: The study reports high rate of some categories of mistreatment of women during childbirth. Women from disadvantaged ethnic group, young women, and term newborns are at higher risk of mistreatment. Strengthening health system and improving health workers' readiness and response will be key in experience respectful care during childbirth.

Augmentation of labor with oxytocin and its association with delivery outcomes: A large-scale cohort study in 12 public hospitals in Nepal.

INTRODUCTION: The use of oxytocin to augment labor is increasing in many low-resource settings; however, little is known about the effects of such use in contexts where resources for intrapartum monitoring are scarce. In this study, we sought to assess the association between augmentation of labor with oxytocin and delivery outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a cohort study in 12 public hospitals in Nepal, including all deliveries with and without augmentation of labor with oxytocin, but excluding elective cesarean sections, women with missing information on augmentation of labor, and women without fetal heart rate on admission. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression calculating the crude and adjusted risk ratio (aRR) with corresponding 95% CI were performed, comparing (a) intrapartum stillbirth and first-day mortality (primary outcome); and (b) intrapartum monitoring, mode of delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, bag-and-mask ventilation of the newborn, Apgar score, and neonatal death before discharge (secondary outcomes) among women with and without oxytocin-augmented labor. RESULTS: The total cohort consisted of 78 931 women, of whom 28 915 (37%) had labor augmented with oxytocin and 50 016 (63%) did not have labor augmented with oxytocin. Women with augmentation of labor had no increased risk of intrapartum stillbirth and first-day mortality (aRR 1.24, 95% CI 0.65-2.4), but decreased risks of suboptimal partograph use (aRR 0.71, 95% CI 0.68-0.74), suboptimal fetal heart rate monitoring (aRR 0.50, 95% CI 0.48-0.53), and emergency cesarean section (aRR 0.62, 95% CI 0.59-0.66), and increased risks of bag-and-mask ventilation (aRR 2.1, 95% CI 1.8-2.5), Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes (aRR 1.65, 95% CI 1.49-1.86), and neonatal death (aRR 1.93, 95% CI 1.46-2.56). CONCLUSIONS: Although augmentation of labor with oxytocin might be associated with beneficial effects, such as improved monitoring and a decreased risk of cesarean section, its use may lead to an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. We urge for a cautious use of oxytocin to augment labor in low-resource contexts, and call for evidence-based guidelines on augmentation of labor in low-resource settings.

Birthweight: EN-BIRTH multi-country validation study.

BACKGROUND: Accurate birthweight is critical to inform clinical care at the individual level and tracking progress towards national/global targets at the population level. Low birthweight (LBW) < 2500 g affects over 20.5 million newborns annually. However, data are lacking and may be affected by heaping. This paper evaluates birthweight measurement within the Every Newborn Birth Indicators Research Tracking in Hospitals (EN-BIRTH) study. METHODS: The EN-BIRTH study took place in five hospitals in Bangladesh, Nepal and Tanzania (2017-2018). Clinical observers collected time-stamped data (gold standard) for weighing at birth. We compared accuracy for two data sources: routine hospital registers and women's report at exit interview survey. We calculated absolute differences and individual-level validation metrics. We analysed birthweight coverage and quality gaps including timing and heaping. Qualitative data explored barriers and enablers for routine register data recording. RESULTS: Among 23,471 observed births, 98.8% were weighed. Exit interview survey-reported weighing coverage was 94.3% (90.2-97.3%), sensitivity 95.0% (91.3-97.8%). Register-reported coverage was 96.6% (93.2-98.9%), sensitivity 97.1% (94.3-99%). Routine registers were complete (> 98% for four hospitals) and legible > 99.9%. Weighing of stillbirths varied by hospital, ranging from 12.5-89.0%. Observed LBW rate was 15.6%; survey-reported rate 14.3% (8.9-20.9%), sensitivity 82.9% (75.1-89.4%), specificity 96.1% (93.5-98.5%); register-recorded rate 14.9%, sensitivity 90.8% (85.9-94.8%), specificity 98.5% (98-99.0%). In surveys, "don't know" responses for birthweight measured were 4.7%, and 2.9% for knowing the actual weight. 95.9% of observed babies were weighed within 1 h of birth, only 14.7% with a digital scale. Weight heaping indices were around two-fold lower using digital scales compared to analogue. Observed heaping was almost 5% higher for births during the night than day. Survey-report further increased observed birthweight heaping, especially for LBW babies. Enablers to register birthweight measurement in qualitative interviews included digital scale availability and adequate staffing. CONCLUSIONS: Hospital registers captured birthweight and LBW prevalence more accurately than women's survey report. Even in large hospitals, digital scales were not always available and stillborn babies not always weighed. Birthweight data are being captured in hospitals and investment is required to further improve data quality, researching of data flow in routine systems and use of data at every level.

Respectful maternal and newborn care: measurement in one EN-BIRTH study hospital in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Respectful maternal and newborn care (RMNC) is an important component of high-quality care but progress is impeded by critical measurement gaps for women and newborns. The Every Newborn Birth Indicators Research Tracking in Hospitals (EN-BIRTH) study was an observational study with mixed methods assessing measurement validity for coverage and quality of maternal and newborn indicators. This paper reports results regarding the measurement of respectful care for women and newborns. METHODS: At one EN-BIRTH study site in Pokhara, Nepal, we included additional questions during exit-survey interviews with women about their experiences (July 2017-July 2018). The questionnaire was based on seven mistreatment typologies: Physical; Sexual; or Verbal abuse; Stigma/discrimination; Failure to meet professional standards of care; Poor rapport between women and providers; and Health care denied due to inability to pay. We calculated associations between these typologies and potential determinants of health - ethnicity, age, sex, mode of birth - as possible predictors for reporting poor care. RESULTS: Among 4296 women interviewed, none reported physical, sexual, or verbal abuse. 15.7% of women were dissatisfied with privacy, and 13.0% of women reported their birth experience did not meet their religious and cultural needs. In descriptive analysis, adjusted odds ratios and multivariate analysis showed primiparous women were less likely to report respectful care (ß = 0.23, p-value < 0.0001). Women from Madeshi (a disadvantaged ethnic group) were more likely to report poor care (ß = - 0.34; p-value 0.037) than women identifying as Chettri/Brahmin. Women who had caesarean section were less likely to report poor care during childbirth (ß = - 0.42; p-value < 0.0001) than women with a vaginal birth. However, babies born by caesarean had a 98% decrease in the odds (aOR = 0.02, 95% CI, 0.01-0.05) of receiving skin-to-skin contact than those with vaginal births. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of respectful care at exit interview after hospital birth is challenging, and women generally reported 100% respectful care for themselves and their baby. Specific questions, with stratification by mode of birth, women's age and ethnicity, are important to identify those mistreated during care and to prioritise action. More research is needed to develop evidence-based measures to track experience of care, including zero separation for the mother-newborn pair, and to improve monitoring.

Neonatal resuscitation: EN-BIRTH multi-country validation study.

BACKGROUND: Annually, 14 million newborns require stimulation to initiate breathing at birth and 6 million require bag-mask-ventilation (BMV). Many countries have invested in facility-based neonatal resuscitation equipment and training. However, there is no consistent tracking for neonatal resuscitation coverage. METHODS: The EN-BIRTH study, in five hospitals in Bangladesh, Nepal, and Tanzania (2017-2018), collected time-stamped data for care around birth, including neonatal resuscitation. Researchers surveyed women and extracted data from routine labour ward registers. To assess accuracy, we compared gold standard observed coverage to survey-reported and register-recorded coverage, using absolute difference, validity ratios, and individual-level validation metrics (sensitivity, specificity, percent agreement). We analysed two resuscitation numerators (stimulation, BMV) and three denominators (live births and fresh stillbirths, non-crying, non-breathing). We also examined timeliness of BMV. Qualitative data were collected from health workers and data collectors regarding barriers and enablers to routine recording of resuscitation. RESULTS: Among 22,752 observed births, 5330 (23.4%) babies did not cry and 3860 (17.0%) did not breathe in the first minute after birth. 16.2% (n = 3688) of babies were stimulated and 4.4% (n = 998) received BMV. Survey-report underestimated coverage of stimulation and BMV. Four of five labour ward registers captured resuscitation numerators. Stimulation had variable accuracy (sensitivity 7.5-40.8%, specificity 66.8-99.5%), BMV accuracy was higher (sensitivity 12.4-48.4%, specificity > 93%), with small absolute differences between observed and recorded BMV. Accuracy did not vary by denominator option. < 1% of BMV was initiated within 1 min of birth. Enablers to register recording included training and data use while barriers included register design, documentation burden, and time pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Population-based surveys are unlikely to be useful for measuring resuscitation coverage given low validity of exit-survey report. Routine labour ward registers have potential to accurately capture BMV as the numerator. Measuring the true denominator for clinical need is complex; newborns may require BMV if breathing ineffectively or experiencing apnoea after initial drying/stimulation or subsequently at any time. Further denominator research is required to evaluate non-crying as a potential alternative in the context of respectful care. Measuring quality gaps, notably timely provision of resuscitation, is crucial for programme improvement and impact, but unlikely to be feasible in routine systems, requiring audits and special studies.

Barriers and enablers to routine register data collection for newborns and mothers: EN-BIRTH multi-country validation study.

BACKGROUND: Policymakers need regular high-quality coverage data on care around the time of birth to accelerate progress for ending preventable maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths. With increasing facility births, routine Health Management Information System (HMIS) data have potential to track coverage. Identifying barriers and enablers faced by frontline health workers recording HMIS source data in registers is important to improve data for use. METHODS: The EN-BIRTH study was a mixed-methods observational study in five hospitals in Bangladesh, Nepal and Tanzania to assess measurement validity for selected Every Newborn coverage indicators. We described data elements required in labour ward registers to track these indicators. To evaluate barriers and enablers for correct recording of data in registers, we designed three interview tools: a) semi-structured in-depth interview (IDI) guide b) semi-structured focus group discussion (FGD) guide, and c) checklist assessing care-to-documentation. We interviewed two groups of respondents (January 2018-March 2019): hospital nurse-midwives and doctors who fill ward registers after birth (n = 40 IDI and n = 5 FGD); and data collectors (n = 65). Qualitative data were analysed thematically by categorising pre-identified codes. Common emerging themes of barriers or enablers across all five hospitals were identified relating to three conceptual framework categories. RESULTS: Similar themes emerged as both barriers and enablers. First, register design was recognised as crucial, yet perceived as complex, and not always standardised for necessary data elements. Second, register filling was performed by over-stretched nurse-midwives with variable training, limited supervision, and availability of logistical resources. Documentation complexity across parallel documents was time-consuming and delayed because of low staff numbers. Complete data were valued more than correct data. Third, use of register data included clinical handover and monthly reporting, but little feedback was given from data users. CONCLUSION: Health workers invest major time recording register data for maternal and newborn core health indicators. Improving data quality requires standardised register designs streamlined to capture only necessary data elements. Consistent implementation processes are also needed. Two-way feedback between HMIS levels is critical to improve performance and accurately track progress towards agreed health goals.

A multicenter study of incidence, risk factors and outcomes of babies with birth asphyxia in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal events which result in compromised oxygen delivery to the fetus can lead to Birth Asphyxia (BA). While the incidence, risk factors and outcomes of BA have been characterized, less is known in low resource settings. AIM: To determine the incidence of Birth Asphyxia (BA) in Nepal and to evaluate associated risk factors and outcomes of this condition. METHODS: A nested observational study was conducted in 12 hospitals of Nepal for a period of 14 months. Babies diagnosed as BA at ≥37 weeks of gestation were identified and demographics were reviewed. Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression followed by multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The incidence of BA in this study was 6 per 1000 term livebirths and was higher among women 35 years and above. Predictors for BA were instrumented vaginal delivery (aOR:4.4, 95% CI, 3.1-6.1), fetal distress in labour (aOR:1.9, 95% CI, 1.0-3.6), malposition (aOR:1.8, 95% CI, 1.0-3.0), birth weight less than 2500 g (aOR:2.0, 95% CI, 1.3-2.9), gestational age ≥ 42 weeks (aOR:2.0, 95% CI, 1.3-3.3) and male gender (aOR:1.6, 95% CI, 1.2-2.0). The risk of pre-discharge mortality was 43 times higher in babies with BA (aOR:42.6, 95% CI, 32.2-56.3). CONCLUSION: The incidence of Birth asphyxia in Nepal higher than in more resourced setting. A range of obstetric and neonatal risk factors are associated with BA with an associated high risk of pre-discharge mortality. Interventions to improve management and decrease rates of BA could have marked impact on outcomes in low resource settings.

Burden and consequence of birth defects in Nepal-evidence from prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Every year an estimated 7.9 million babies are born with birth defect. Of these babies, more than 3 million die and 3.2 million have disability. Improving nationwide information on prevalence of birth defect, risk factor and consequence is required for better resource allocation for prevention, management and rehabilitation. In this study, we assess the prevalence of birth defect, associated risk factors and consequences in Nepal. METHOD: This is a prospective cohort study conducted in 12 hospitals of Nepal for 18 months. All the women who delivered in the hospitals during the study period was enrolled. Independent researchers collected data on the social and demographic information using semi-structured questionnaire at the time of discharge and clinical events and birth outcome information from the clinical case note. Data were analyzed on the prevalence and type of birth defect. Logistic regression was done to assess the risk factor and consequences for birth defect. RESULTS: Among the total 87,242 livebirths, the prevalence of birth defects was found to be 5.8 per 1000 live births. The commonly occurring birth defects were anencephaly (3.95%), cleft lip (2.77%), cleft lip and palate (6.13%), clubfeet (3.95%), eye abnormalities (3.95%) and meningomyelocele (3.36%). The odds of birth defect was higher among mothers with age < 20 years (adjusted Odds ratio (aOR) 1.64; 95% CI, 1.18-2.28) and disadvantaged ethnicity (aOR 1.78; 95% CI, 1.46-2.18). The odds of birth asphyxia was twice fold higher among babies with birth defect (aOR 1.88; 95% CI, 1.41-2.51) in reference with babies without birth defect. The odds of neonatal infection was twice fold higher among babies with birth defect (aOR 1.82; 95% CI, 1.12-2.96) in reference with babies without birth defect. Babies with birth defect had three-fold risk of pre-discharge mortality (aOR 3.00; 95% CI, 1.93-4.69). CONCLUSION: Maternal age younger than 20 years and advantaged ethnicity were risk factors of birth defects. Babies with birth defect have high risk for birth asphyxia, neonatal infection and pre-discharge mortality at birth. Further evaluation on the care provided to babies who have birth defect is warranted. FUNDING: Swedish Research Council (VR).

Impact of free newborn care service package on out of pocket expenditure-evidence from a multicentric study in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) aspires to improve universal health coverage through reduction of Out of Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) and improving the quality of care. In the last two decades, there have been several efforts to reduce the OOPE for maternal and newborn care. In this paper, we evaluate the change in the OOPE for treatment of sick newborn at hospital before and after implementation of a free newborn care (FNC) program in hospitals of Nepal. METHODS: Ministry of Health and Population implemented a free newborn care program which reimbursed the cost of treatment for all sick newborns admitted in public hospitals in Nepal from November 2017. We conducted this pre-post quasi-experimental study with four months of pre-implementation and 12 months of post-implementation of the program in 12 hospitals of Nepal. Logistic regression analysis was conducted for categorical variables and Mann-Whitney test was applied for continuous variables to determine statistically significant differences between pre- and post- intervention period. RESULTS: A total of 353 sick newborns were admitted into these hospitals before implementation of the FNC program while 1122 sick newborns were admitted after the implementation. Before implementation, 17 % of mothers paid for sick newborn care while after implementation 15.3 % mothers (p-value = 0.59) paid for care. The OOPE for treatment of sick newborn at hospital before implementation was Mean ± SD: US dollar 14.3 + 12.1 and after implementation was Mean ± SD: USD 13.0 ± 9.6 (p-value = 0.71). There were no significant differences in neonatal morbidity after the implementation of the FNC program. The stay in a hospital bed (in days) decreased after the implementation of FNC program (p-value < 0.001) while the cost for medicine increased (p-value = 0.02). The duration of hospital stay (in days) of sick newborns significantly decreased for Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE) (p-value = 0.04) and neonatal sepsis (p-value < 0.001) after the FNC program was implemented. CONCLUSIONS: We found no change in the OOPE for sick newborn care following implementation of the FNC Program. There is a need to revisit the FNC program by the type of morbidity and duration of stay. Further studies will be required to explore the health system adequacy to implement such programs in hospitals of Nepal. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN- 30829654 , Registered on May 02, 2017.

The burden of adolescent motherhood and health consequences in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Annually, 18 million babies are born to mothers 18 years or less. Two thirds of these births take place in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Due to social and biological factors, adolescent mothers have a higher risk of adverse birth outcomes. We conducted this study to assess the incidence, risk factors, maternal and neonatal health consequences among adolescent mothers. METHODS: We conducted an observational study in 12 hospitals of Nepal for a period of 12 months. Patient medical record and semi-structured interviews were used to collect demographic information of mothers, intrapartum care and outcomes. The risks of adverse birth outcomes among adolescent compared to adult mothers were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: During the study period, among the total 60,742 deliveries, 7.8% were adolescent mothers. Two third of the adolescent mothers were from disadvantaged ethnic groups, compared to half of adult mothers (66.1% vs 47.8%, p-value< 0.001). One third of the adolescent mothers did not have formal education, while one in nine adult mothers did not have formal education (32.6% vs 14.2%, p-value< 0.001). Compared to adult mothers, adolescent mothers had higher odds of experiencing prolonged labour (aOR-1.56, 95% CI, 1.17-2.10, p-0.003), preterm birth (aOR-1.40, 95% CI, 1.26-1.55, p < 0.001) and of having a baby being small for gestational age (aOR-1.38, 95% CI 1.25-1.52, p < 0.001). The odds of major malformation increased by more than two-fold in adolescent mothers compared to adult mothers (aOR-2.66, 95% CI 1.12-6.33, p-0.027). CONCLUSION: Women from disadvantaged ethnic group have higher risk of being pregnant during adolescent age. Adolescent mothers were more likely to have prolonged labour, a preterm birth, small for gestational age baby and major congenital malformation. Special attention to this high-risk group during pregnancy, labour and delivery is critical.

The burden of and factors associated with misclassification of intrapartum stillbirth: Evidence from a large scale multicentric observational study.

INTRODUCTION: Global estimates suggest 2.6 million stillbirths and 2.5 million neonatal deaths occur annually worldwide. The majority of these deaths occur in low resource settings where analysis of health metrics and outcomes measurements may be challenging. We examined the misclassification of documented intrapartum stillbirth and factors associated with misclassification. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective observational study was performed in 12 public hospitals in Nepal. Data were extracted from the medical records of all births that occurred during the 6-month period of the study. For the study purpose, we classified birth outcome based on the presence of fetal heart sound (FHS) at admission and use of neonatal resuscitation. The health worker-documented intrapartum stillbirths were considered potentially misclassified when there were FHS present at admission and no resuscitation initiated after birth. The association between potentially misclassified intrapartum stillbirth and complications during labor, birthweight and gestational age was assessed using Pearson's chi-square test, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 39 562 mother-infant dyads were enrolled in the study, all of whom had FHS at admission. Among the 391 intrapartum stillbirths recorded during the study, 180 (46.0%) of them had FHS at admission with no resuscitation initiated after birth and were considered potentially misclassified intrapartum stillbirths. Among these potentially misclassified intrapartum stillbirths, 170 (43.5%) had FHS present 15 minutes before birth and 10 had no FHS 15 minutes before birth Among the potentially misclassified intrapartum stillbirths, 23.3% had complications during labor, 93.3% had birthweight less than 2500 g and 90.0% were born preterm. The risk of intrapartum misclassification was nearly four times higher among low birthweight babies (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8 to 7.0, P < 0.001) and five times higher among preterm babies (aOR 5.3, 95% CI 3.0 to 9.3, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We estimate that 46% of intrapartum stillbirths were potentially misclassified intrapartum stillbirths. Improving quality of both FHS monitoring and neonatal resuscitation as well as measurement of the care will reduce the risk of potentially misclassified intrapartum stillbirth and consequently intrapartum stillbirth.

Coverage, associated factors, and impact of companionship during labor: A large-scale observational study in six hospitals in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Companionship at the time of birth is a nonclinical intervention that has been proven to improve the quality of intrapartum care. This study aims to evaluate the coverage, associated factors, and impact of companionship during labor at public hospitals in Nepal. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study in six public hospitals in Nepal. The study was conducted from July 2018 to August 2018. Data were collected on sociodemographic, maternal, obstetric, and neonatal characteristics from patient case notes and through predischarge interviews. Coverage of companionship during labor and its association with intrapartum care was analyzed. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were done to assess the association between companionship during labor and demographic, obstetric, and neonatal characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 63 077 women participated in the study with 19% of them having a companion during labor. Women aged 19-24 years had 65% higher odds of having a companion during labor compared with women aged 35 years and older (aOR 1.65 [95% CI, 1.40-1.94]). Women who were from an advantaged ethnic group (Chhetri/Brahmin) had fourfold higher odds of having a companion than women from a disadvantaged group (aOR 3.84; [95% CI, 3.24-4.52]). Women who had companions during labor had fewer unnecessary cesarean births than those who had no companions (5.2% vs 6.8%, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: In Nepal, sociodemographic factors affect women's likelihood of having a companion during labor. As companionship during labor is associated with improved quality of care, health facilities should encourage women's access to birth companions.

Meconium aspiration syndrome: incidence, associated risk factors and outcome-evidence from a multicentric study in low-resource settings in Nepal.

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify the incidence, risk factors and outcome associated with meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). METHODS: An observational study was conducted in 12 public hospitals in Nepal from 1 July 2017 to 29 August 2018. All babies born within the study period were included in the study. Babies who were diagnosed as MAS were designated as outcome. Data were analysed with bivariate analysis followed by multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The overall incidence of MAS was 2.0 per 1000 livebirths. Babies born at post-term gestation (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.41; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05-5.55), nulliparity (AOR = 2.26; 95% CI: 1.20-4.28), instrumental delivery (AOR = 4.79; 95% CI: 2.52-9.10) and caesarean delivery (AOR = 3.67; 95% CI: 2.29-5.89) were significantly associated with MAS. Babies with MAS had a 10-fold risk for pre-discharge mortality (odds ratio = 9.87; 95% CI: 5.81-16.76). CONCLUSIONS: The findings in this study are consistent with that reported in other studies. MAS has a high risk of neonatal mortality. Thus, monitoring during pregnancy and labour is necessary for early identification of high-risk conditions associated with MAS. Strengthening of newborn care services is essential to curtail mortality.

Out of Pocket Expenditure for Sick Newborn Care in Referral Hospitals of Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Almost all preventable neonatal deaths take place in low- and middle-income countries and affect the poorest who have the least access to high quality health services. Cost of health care is one of the factors preventing access to quality health services and universal health coverage. In Nepal, the majority of expenses related to newborn care are borne by the caregiver, regardless of socioeconomic status. We conducted a study to assess the out of pocket expenditure (OOPE) for sick newborn care in hospitals in Nepal. METHODS: This cross-sectional study of hospital care for newborns was conducted in 11 hospitals in Nepal and explored OOPE incurred by caregivers for sick newborn care. Data were collected from the caregivers of the sick newborn on the topics of cost of travel, accommodation, treatment (drugs, diagnosis) and documented on a sick newborn case record form. RESULTS: Data were collected from 814 caregivers. Cost of caregivers' stay accounted for more than 40% of the OOPE for sick newborn care, followed by cost of travel, and the baby's stay and treatment. The overall OOPE ranged from 13.6 to 226.1 US dollars (USD). The median OOPE was highest for preterm complications ($33.2 USD; CI 14.0-226.1), followed by hyperbilirubinemia ($31.9 USD; CI 14.0-60.7), respiratory distress syndrome ($26.9 USD; 15.3-121.5), neonatal sepsis ($ 25.8 USD; CI 13.6-139.8) and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy ($23.4 USD; CI 13.6-97.7). DISCUSSION FOR PRACTICE: In Nepal, OOPE for sick newborn care in hospitals varied by neonatal morbidity and duration of stay. The largest proportion of OOPE were for accommodation and travel. Affordable and accessible health care will substantially reduce the OOPE for sick newborn care in hospitals.

Effect of skill drills on neonatal ventilation performance in a simulated setting- observation study in Nepal.

AIM: Maintaining neonatal resuscitation skills among health workers in low resource settings will require continuous quality improvement efforts. We aimed to evaluate the effect of skill drills and feedback on neonatal resuscitation and the optimal number of skill drills required to maintain the ventilation skill in a simulated setting. METHODS: An observational study was conducted for a period of 3 months in a referral hospital of Nepal. Sixty nursing staffs were trained on Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) 2.0 and daily skill drills using a high-fidelity manikin. The high-fidelity manikin had different clinical case scenarios and provided feedback as "well done" or "improvement required" based on the ventilation performance. Adequate ventilation was defined as bag-and-mask ventilation at the rate of 40-60 breaths per minute. The effective ventilation was defined as adequate ventilation with a "well done" feedback. We assessed the correlation of number skill drills and clinical case scenario with adequate ventilation rate using pearson's correlation. We assessed the correlation of number of skill dills performed by each participant with effective ventilation using Mann Whitney test. RESULTS: Among the total of 60 nursing staffs, all of them were competent with an average score of 12.73 ± 1.09 out of 14 (p < 0.001) on bag-and-mask ventilation skill checklist. Among the trained staff, 47 staffs participated in daily skill drills who performed a total of 331 skill drills and 68.9% of the ventilations were done adequately. Among the 47 nursing staffs who performed the skill drills, 228 (68.9%) drills were conducted at a ventilation rate of 40-60 breathes per minute. There was no correlation of the adequate ventilation with skill drill category (p = 0.88) and the level of skill performed (p = 0.28). Out of 47 participants performing the skill drills, 74.5% of them had done effective ventilation with a mean average of 8 skill drills (SD ± 4.78) (p-value- 0.032). CONCLUSION: In a simulated setting, participants who had an average skill drill of 8 in 3 months had effective ventilation. We demonstrated optimal skill drill sessions for maintain the neonatal resuscitation competency. Further evaluation will be required to validate the findings in a scale up setting.

Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the general population of Nepal during the first and second generalized waves of the COVID-19 pandemic-2020-2021.

Few seroprevalence studies have been conducted on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Nepal. Here, we aimed to estimate seroprevalence and assess risk factors for infection in the general population of Nepal by conducting two rounds of sampling. The first round was in October 2020, at the peak of the first generalized wave of COVID-19, and the second round in July-August 2021, following the peak of the wave caused by the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. We used cross-sectional probability-to-size (PPS)-based multistage cluster sampling to estimate the seroprevalence in the general population of Nepal at the national and provincial levels. We tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 total antibody using the WANTAI SARS-CoV-2 Ab ELISA kit. In Round 1, the overall national seroprevalence was 14.4%, with provincial estimates ranging from 5.3% in Sudurpaschim to 27.3% in Madhesh Province. In Round 2, the estimated national seroprevalence was 70.7%, with the highest in the Madhesh Province (84.8%) and the lowest in the Gandaki Province (62.9%). Seroprevalence was comparable between males and females (Round 1, 15.8% vs. 12.2% and Round 2, 72.3% vs. 68.7%). The seroprevalence in the ecozones-Terai, hills, and mountains-was 76.3%, 65.3%, and 60.5% in Round 2 and 17.7%, 11.7%, and 4.6% in Round 1, respectively. In Nepal, COVID-19 vaccination was introduced in January 2021. At the peak of the first generalized wave of COVID-19, most of the population of Nepal remained unexposed to SARS-CoV-2. Towards the end of the second generalized wave in April 2021, two thirds of the population was exposed.

Audit of Clinical Care Received by COVID-19 Patients Treated at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Nepal in 2021.

Like the world over, Nepal was also hard hit by the second wave of COVID-19. We audited the clinical care provided to COVID-19 patients admitted from April to June 2021 in a tertiary care hospital of Nepal. This was a cohort study using routinely collected hospital data. There were 620 patients, and most (458, 74%) had severe illness. The majority (600, 97%) of the patients were eligible for admission as per national guidelines. Laboratory tests helping to predict the outcome of COVID-19, such as D-dimer and C-reactive protein, were missing in about 25% of patients. Nearly all (>95%) patients with severe disease received corticosteroids, anticoagulants and oxygen. The use of remdesivir was low (22%). About 70% of the patients received antibiotics. Hospital exit outcomes of most (>95%) patients with mild and moderate illness were favorable (alive and discharged). Among patients with severe illness, about 25% died and 4% were critically ill, needing further referral. This is the first study from Nepal to audit and document COVID-19 clinical care provision in a tertiary care hospital, thus filling the evidence gap in this area from resource-limited settings. Adherence to admission guidelines was excellent. Laboratory testing, access to essential drugs and data management needs to be improved.

Payment mechanism for institutional births in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Since the Millennium Development Goal era, there have been several efforts to increase institutional births using demand side financing. Since 2005, Government of Nepal has implemented Maternity Incentive Scheme (MIS) to reduce out of pocket expenditure (OOPE) for institutional birth. We aim to assess OOPE among women who had institutional births and coverage of MIS in Nepal. METHOD: We conducted a prospective cohort study in 12 hospitals of Nepal for a period of 18 months. All women who were admitted in the hospital for delivery and consented were enrolled into the study. Research nurses conducted pre-discharge interviews with women on costs paid for medical services and non-medical services. We analysed the out of pocket expenditure by mode of delivery, duration of stay and hospitals. We also analysed the coverage of maternal incentive scheme in these hospitals. RESULTS: Among the women (n-21,697) reporting OOPE, the average expenditure per birth was 41.5 USD with 36 % attributing to transportation cost. The median OOPE was highest in Bheri hospital (60.3 USD) in comparison with other hospitals. The OOPE increased by 1.5 USD (1.2, 1.8) with each additional day stay in the hospital. There was a difference in the OOPE by mode of delivery, duration of hospital-stay and hospital of birth. The median OOPE was high among the caesarean birth with 43.3 USD in comparison with vaginal birth, 32.6 USD. The median OOPE was 44.7 USD, if the women stayed for 7 days and 33.5 USD if the women stayed for 24 h. The OOPE increased by 1.5 USD with each additional day of hospital stay after 24 h. The coverage of maternal incentive was 96.5 % among the women enrolled in the study. CONCLUSIONS: Families still make out of pocket expenditure for institutional birth with a large proportion attributed to hospital care. OOPE for institutional births varied by duration of stay and mode of birth. Given the near universal coverage of incentive scheme, there is a need to review the amount of re-imbursement done to women based on duration of stay and mode of birth.

Mistreatment of newborns after childbirth in health facilities in Nepal: Results from a prospective cohort observational study.

BACKGROUND: Patient experience of care reflects the quality of health care in health facilities. While there are multiple studies documenting abuse and disrespect to women during childbirth, there is limited evidence on the mistreatment of newborns immediately after childbirth. This paper addresses the evidence gap by assessing the prevalence and risk factors associated with mistreatment of newborns after childbirth in Nepal, based on a large-scale observational study. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This is a prospective observational cohort study conducted over a period of 18 months in 4 public referral hospitals in Nepal. All newborns born at the facilities during the study period, who breathed spontaneously and were observed, were included. A set of indicators to measure mistreatment for newborns was analysed. Principal component analysis was used to construct a single newborn mistreatment index. Uni-variate, multi-variate, and multi-level analysis was done to measure the association between the newborn mistreatment index and demographic, obstetric, and neonatal characteristics. A total of 31,804 births of newborns who spontaneously breathed were included. Among the included newborns, 63.0% (95% CI, 62.5-63.5) received medical interventions without taking consent from the parents, 25.0% (95% CI, 24.5-25.5) were not treated with kindness and respect (roughly handled), and 21.4% (95% CI, 20.9-21.8) of them were suctioned with no medical need. Among the newborns, 71.7% (95% CI, 71.2-72.3) had the cord clamped within 1 minute and 77.6% (95% CI, 77.1-78.1) were not breast fed within 1 hour of birth. Only 3.5% (95% CI, 3.2-3.8) were kept in skin to skin contact in the delivery room after birth. The mistreatment index showed maximum variation in mistreatment among those infants born to women of relatively disadvantaged ethnic groups and infants born to women with 2 or previous births. After adjusting for hospital heterogeneity, infants born to women aged 30-34 years (ß, -0.041; p value, 0.01) and infants born to women aged 35 years or more (ß, -0.064; p value, 0.029) were less mistreated in reference to infants born to women aged 18 years or less. Infants born to women from the relatively disadvantaged (chhetri) ethnic groups (ß, 0.077; p value, 0.000) were more likely to be mistreated than the infants born to relatively advantaged (brahmin) ethnic groups. Female newborns (ß, 0.016; p value, 0.015) were more likely to be mistreated than male newborns. CONCLUSIONS: The mistreatment of spontaneously breathing newborns is high in public hospitals in Nepal. Mistreatment varied by hospital, maternal ethnicity, maternal age, and sex of the newborn. Reducing mistreatment of newborns will require interventions at policy, health system, and individual level. Further, implementation studies will be required to identify effective interventions to reduce inequity and mistreatment of newborns at birth.