An Assessment of Implementation of Family Participatory Care in Special Newborn Care Units in Three States of India

Abstract

To study special newborn care units (SNCUs) in terms of family participatory care (FPC) quality initiative as per Government of India guidelines in select public health facilities, and to document the perspectives of the doctors and mothers. Cross-sectional. SNCUs with functional FPC units in the states of Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. 38 SNCUs; doctors and nurses in-charge of the unit; and two eligible mothers per unit, one inside the step-down unit and second outside the step-down unit whose newborns were admitted to special new-born care unit, having a stable baby weighing above 1500 g. The states implemented FPC as per Government of India guidelines using National Health Mission funds across special newborn care units. This assessment involved onsite observation and interviews of key providers. Proportion of facilities providing regular counselling sessions, enabling support to mothers, recording FPC information; perspectives of health providers on improvement of breastfeeding and kangaroo mother care; proportion of eligible mothers practicing FPC, exclusively breastfeeding, and providing kangaroo mother care services. Out of 38 SNCUs, we found that FPC sessions for mothers were happening in 36 (95%) facilities. SNCUs provided enabling support to mothers on FPC (74.2%), held regular sessions for the families (70.6%), nurses assisted mothers and family members for breastfeeding and kangaroo mother care (76.4%) and FPC information were recorded (70.6%). The assessment of facilities where FPC was implemented showed that SNCUs were equipped to implement FPC in public health settings.