Midterm evaluation of the national neonatal resuscitation program in China

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the midterm efficiency of the China neonatal resuscitation program. Methods Four hospitals of different levels of services in 20 provinces and 240 medical staffs, one obstetrician, one pediatrician, and one midwifery respectively in each hospital, were selected to participate in the evaluation with 2 medical staffs were excluded for some reasons. Questionnaires, medical records and manipulation skills examination were used to collect information of the training of medical staffs, the incidence of neonatal asphyxia and the death rate of the neonatal asphyxia on the birth spot. Results Among 238 medical staffs from 80 hospitals, 97.0% received neonatal resuscitation training. The overall passing rate of manipulation skills examination on neonatal resuscitation was 72.7%. From 2003 to 2006, the incidence of neonatal asphyxia decreased from 3.83% to 2.76% (χ2=236. 132, P<0. 01), the death rate of the asphyxia newborns on the birth spot decreased from 3.08 to 2.06 per 10 000 live births, but the difference was not significant (χ2= 2. 694, P= 0. 101). Conclusions Neonatal resuscitation program promotes the expansion of the new neonatal resuscitation techniques and the providers' resuscitation skills, resulting in decreased rates of neonatal asphyxia and asphyxial mortality. Key words: Asphyxia neonatorum; Resuscitation; Education, professional; Mortality