Article Text
Abstract
Background Training of birth attendants in neonatal resuscitation is likely to reduce birth asphyxia and neonatal mortality. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the impact of neonatal resuscitation training (NRT) programme in reducing stillbirths, neonatal mortality, and perinatal mortality
Methods We considered studies where any NRT was provided to healthcare personnel involved in delivery process and handling of newborns. We searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL, ERIC and other electronic databases. We also searched ongoing trials and bibliographies of the retrieved articles, and contacted experts for unpublished work. We undertook screening of studies and assessment of risk of bias in duplicates. We performed review according to Cochrane Handbook. We assessed the quality of evidence using the GRADE approach.
Results We included 20 trials with 1 653 805 births in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis of NRT versus control shows that NRT decreases the risk of all stillbirths by 21% (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.44 to 1.41), 7-day neonatal mortality by 47% (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.73), 28-day neonatal mortality by 50% (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.68) and perinatal mortality by 37% (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.94). The meta-analysis of pre-NRT versus post-NRT showed that post-NRT decreased the risk of all stillbirths by 12% (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.83 to 0.94), fresh stillbirths by 26% (RR 0.74, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.90), 1-day neonatal mortality by 42% (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.82), 7-day neonatal mortality by 18% (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.73 to 0.93), 28-day neonatal mortality by 14% (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.13) and perinatal mortality by 18% (RR 0.82, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.91).
Conclusions Findings of this review show that implementation of NRT improves neonatal and perinatal mortality. Further good quality randomised controlled trials addressing the role of NRT for improving neonatal and perinatal outcomes may be warranted.
Trial registration number PROSPERO 2016:CRD42016043668
- health services research
- mortality
- multidisciplinary team-care
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Footnotes
Contributors AP: conception of the work, design of the work, manuscript drafting with final approval of the version to be published. MNK: developed and run the search strategy, screened and selected studies, and did meta-analysis, GRADE assessment and manuscript drafting. KK and SB: involved in preparation of characteristic of studies table, data acquisition and manuscript drafting. AB: screening and selection of studies, data acquisition and manuscript drafting.
Funding This work was supported by Lata Medical Research Foundation, Nagpur, India (Grant no: LMRF/GRP02/072016).
Competing interests The authors AP and AB were investigators in two of the studies (Bellad et al and Patel et al) included in the meta-analysis. There were no other competing interest.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.