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Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 1999 45(5):278-280; doi:10.1093/tropej/45.5.278
© 1999 by Oxford University Press
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Low birthweight babies in the third world: maternal nursing versus professional nursing care

MA ArifA,Z and K ArifB

A National Institute of Child Health, Rafiqui Shaheed Road, Karachi, Pakistan B Department of Pediatrics, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Stadium Road, Karachi, Pakistan Z Corresponding author Tel: +9221 583 6363 Fax: +9221 587 0044 E-mail: maarif@super.net.pk

Severe nursing shortage adds to the high mortality of low birthweight babies in developing countries. To study the efficacy of maternal nursing care we conducted a prospective matched case-control study. Outcome was compared in low birthweight babies nursed by mothers (mothers' group, n=151,cases), versus professional nurses (nurses' group,n=211,controls). Irrespective of condition on admission, weight gain was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the mothers' group. Mortality was also lower in the mothers' group for babies with pathological jaundice, skin/umbilical sepsis, and no disease except low birthweight (p<0.001). Intercurrent diarrhoea, aspiration pneumonia, and septicaemia did not differ. Training mothers to nurse their low birthweight babies can significantly reduce mortality rates and decrease workload on nurses. Policy formulation using this approach can save costs in developing countries.


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