Qualitative assessment of family caregiver-centered neonatal education program in Karnataka, India

Globally 2.5 million newborns die every year before they reach the age of one month; the majority of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Among other factors, inadequate knowledge and skills to take care of newborns contribute to these deaths. To fill this gap, training patients and family members on the behaviors needed to improve essential newborn care practices at home is a promising opportunity. One program that aims to do this is the Care Companion Program (CCP) which provides in-hospital, skills-based training on care of mothers and newborns to families. This study uses semi-structured interviews to understand how and why knowledge and behaviors of maternal and newborn care behaviors change (or don’t change) as a result of CCP sessions and participants’ perception of the impact of CCP on change. Interviews focused on knowledge and behaviors around key neonatal and newborn topics and health seeking behaviors for health complications. Forty-two in-depth interviews were conducted among families with recently-delivered babies at their homes from four districts in Karnataka, India. Respondents have a positive perception about CCP, found training useful and appreciated other family members presence during the training. CCP increased knowledge and awareness and provided critical details to key behaviors like breastfeeding. Respondents were more likely to be receptive toward details on already known topics, like hand washing before touching the baby. Awareness increased on newly learned behaviors, like skin-to-skin care, which don’t conflict with cultural norms. The CCP did not influence nonrestrictive maternal diet as much, which cultural norms heavily influence. In-hospital family caregiver education programs, like CCP, can positively influence key neonatal behaviors by imparting knowledge and key skills. However, the effect is not universal across health behaviors.