Objective: To determine the burden of early growth faltering and understand the care practices for small and sick babies discharged from newborn units in the district.
Study design: Observational and follow-up study.
Participants: 512 babies discharged from two Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) and four Newborn Stabilization Units (NBSUs) in two districts of Himachal Pradesh.
Methods: Anthropometric assessments, interview of mothers and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) conducted between August, 2018 and March, 2019. Change in weight-for-age z-score (DWAZ) of <-0.67SD between birth and assessment was used to define growth faltering.
Outcomes: Proportion of growth faltering (or catch-down growth) in small and sick babies discharged from SNCUs and NBSUs, and infant care practices.
Results: Growth faltering was observed in a significant proportion of both term (30%) and preterm (52.6%) babies between 1 to 4 months of age. Among babies with growth faltering (n=180), 73.9% received a home visit by ASHA, and only 36.7% received a follow-up visit at a facility. There were 71.3% mothers counselled at discharge (mostly informed about breast feeding). Most (96.7%) mothers did not perceive inadequate weight gain in their babies post-discharge. During home visits, ASHAs weighed 61.6% of the infants with growth faltering. Amongst infants who had growth faltering, only 49.6% of mothers had been provided information about their infant's growth and 57.1% mothers had received breastfeeding counselling.
Conclusion: Small and sick newborn infants (both term and preterm babies) discharged from special care newborn units are at increased risk of early growth faltering. Follow-up care provided to these infants is inadequate. There is a need to strengthen both facility-based and home-based follow up of small and sick newborn infants discharged from newborn care facilities.