In-service training for health professionals to improve care of seriously ill newborns and children in low-income countries

Opiyo, Newton; English, Mike

See: Summary of findings for the main comparison; Summary of findings 2 In Opiyo 2008, newborn resuscitation training improved health workers' resuscitation practices (trained 66% vs control 27%; risk ratio (RR) 2.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.75 to 3.42) (moderate certainty evidence). Training also reduced the frequency of inappropriate/harmful resuscitation practices (trained 0.53 vs control 0.92; mean difference (MD) 0.40, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.66; Appendix 2) (moderate certainty evidence). Effects on neonatal mortality were inconclusive (trained 0.28 vs usual care 0.25; RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.40 to 1.48; N = 27 deaths; Figure 2 ) (low certainty evidence). In Senarath 2007, assessment of breathing of the newborn at birth and four of the five components of essential newborn care practices were improved in the intervention group after training, but it was possible to re-analyse the data to compare intervention and control groups and to adjust for clustering for only one outcome: preparedness for resuscitation. Findings suggest that essential newborn care training probably slightly improves resuscitation preparedness (mean percentage change 8.83%, 95% CI 6.41% to 11.25%; Figure 3 and Figure 4 ) (moderate certainty evidence).