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To the Editor:The letter by Trevisanuto et al reports an evaluation of the educational impact of Neonatal Resuscitation Program training on the performance by Iraqi residents. They report marked improvement in performance using the tool we developed and tested.Excellent performance in neonatal resuscitation in developing countries can reduce perinatal mortality rates.1Carlo W.A. Wright L.L. Chomba E. McClure E. Engmann C. Carlo M.E. et al.Evaluation of the educational impact of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program in a developing country.http://www.PediatricAcademicSocieties.COMDate: 2006Google Scholar Performance has been recognized as the critical component of training in neonatal resuscitation. Ensuring sufficient practice and achievement of excellent performance during resuscitation training is essential to improve outcomes and may improve the retention of skills by trainees. Retention of skills is necessary to sustain the benefits of neonatal resuscitation training. Loss of skills in performance has been documented by many investigators,2Carlo W.A. Translating medical knowledge into practice: improving health care.Acta Paediatr. 2009; 98: 1242-1243Crossref PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar even in high resource settings with adequate support. Repeat training at periodic intervals should be considered. Performance evaluation and retention are particularly important in low-resource settings where birth attendants may not perform resuscitation frequently and where there may be limited numbers of trained personnel. Effective strategies to improve both the acquisition and retention of neonatal resuscitation skills by health providers in developing countries should continue to be developed as the intervention has a large potential for saving lives. To the Editor: The letter by Trevisanuto et al reports an evaluation of the educational impact of Neonatal Resuscitation Program training on the performance by Iraqi residents. They report marked improvement in performance using the tool we developed and tested. Excellent performance in neonatal resuscitation in developing countries can reduce perinatal mortality rates.1Carlo W.A. Wright L.L. Chomba E. McClure E. Engmann C. Carlo M.E. et al.Evaluation of the educational impact of the Neonatal Resuscitation Program in a developing country.http://www.PediatricAcademicSocieties.COMDate: 2006Google Scholar Performance has been recognized as the critical component of training in neonatal resuscitation. Ensuring sufficient practice and achievement of excellent performance during resuscitation training is essential to improve outcomes and may improve the retention of skills by trainees. Retention of skills is necessary to sustain the benefits of neonatal resuscitation training. Loss of skills in performance has been documented by many investigators,2Carlo W.A. Translating medical knowledge into practice: improving health care.Acta Paediatr. 2009; 98: 1242-1243Crossref PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar even in high resource settings with adequate support. Repeat training at periodic intervals should be considered. Performance evaluation and retention are particularly important in low-resource settings where birth attendants may not perform resuscitation frequently and where there may be limited numbers of trained personnel. Effective strategies to improve both the acquisition and retention of neonatal resuscitation skills by health providers in developing countries should continue to be developed as the intervention has a large potential for saving lives. Neonatal resuscitation in developing countriesThe Journal of PediatricsVol. 156Issue 2PreviewTo the Editor: Full-Text PDF