Effect of continuing training on knowledge and practices of traditional birth attendants about maternal and newborn care.

Seventy nine traditional birth attendants (TBAs) of Raipur Rani community development block, Haryana were interviewed to assess the effectiveness of continuing training in changing their knowledge and practices regarding maternal and newborn care. Seventy three percent of them reported participation in continuing training sessions. However, analysis of attendance register showed that only 35.4% had attended more than 50% sessions in year 1993. Most (83.5%) of the TBAs gave advice to pregnant women for increased food intake, 47% advised tetanus toxoid, 16.5% for more rest, and 31.6% for iron tablets. Many of them were aware of maternal complications i.e. anaemia (64.6%), oedema (26.6%), bleeding per veginum (39.2%), abnormal presentation (77.2%) and high fever (48.1%). Risks to newborn like low birth weight, fever, cough/rapid breathing and hypothermia were known to 20.2%, 31.6%, 17.7% and 1.3% of the TBAs respectively. Knowledge regarding causes of low birth weight baby like 'weak' mother, less diet in pregnancy, short birth interval and preterm delivery were reported by 69.6%, 63.3%, 12.6% and 3.8% respectively. About two fifth of TBAs advised referral to hospital in case of prolonged labour and 88.6% for very low birth weight babies. Disposable Dai Kit and weighing machine were available with 32% and 73% TBAs. Significantly higher proportion of TBAs participating in continuing training advised tetanus toxoid vaccination, appropriate feeding practices of the newborn, hospital referral in case of prolonged labour and were less inclined to advise injection to speed up labour. Therefore, efforts should be made to increase the attendance of TBAs in continuing training sessions so as to sustain modern maternal and newborn care practices acquired after initial training.