Lufwanyama Neonatal Survival Project

Lufwanyama Neonatal Survival Project

We seek to determine whether we can reduce day 28 mortality in Zambian newborns by training traditional birth attendants a modified version of the neonatal resuscitation protocol (NRP) and by improving their abiltiy to identify sepsis and initiate antibiotics in the field.

This is a cluster randomized trial of the impact of providing additional training and supplies to traditional birth attendants in a rural setting in Zambia. 120 TBAs are randomized into intervention/control. Intervention TBAs receive NRP training, supplies for neonatal resuscitation, receiving blankets for thermoregulation, and amoxicillin tablets. Control TBAs continue according to prior standard of care. Primary outcome is mortality at 28 days life as a proportion of births attended by TBAs in each study arm.

Inclusion Criteria:

• TBA trained in safe delivery;
• willing to sign informed consent; willing to be randomized; willing to adhere to study procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

• TBA living outside of Lufwanyama district