Background
Methods
Pre-pilot assessment
Design and description of the ‘baby village care’ program
Pilot intervention and evaluation of ‘baby village care’
Message No.: | Message Topic: | Days after birth messages where automatically sent: | Example Message 4: |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Cord Care: Taking care of the umbilical cord to prevent infection
Spoken by: Fictional Doctor (male voice)
| Day 3 | Hey this is Midwife Sophea again calling from the Baby Care Village advice hotline! This is sad, but do you know that in Kampong Chhnang, baby death is about twice as high as the rest of the Cambodia? Together we need to change this. Here are some danger signs to watch out for: If your baby has difficulty breathing, convulses, has a fever, gets diarrhea, develops pus in its eye, or red blisters on the body, you should take your baby to the health center immediately. Don’t delay. Every second counts and waiting to go can be the difference between your baby’s life and death. |
2 | Exclusive Breastfeeding: Defined as breast milk alone is enough until baby is six months old, do not give even water or tea.
Spoken by: Fictional Village Health Volunteer who is also a mother (female voice)
| Day 7 | |
3 | Effective Breastfeeding: Correct positioning and attachment
Spoken by: Fictional Midwife (female voice)
| Day 11 | |
4 | Danger Signs: Go to seek care immediately if baby is bleeding, has continual diarrhoea, develops pus or red blisters
Spoken by: Fictional Midwife (female voice)
| Day 15 | |
5 | Postnatal Care: ensuring mothers take post-partum iron and folate supplementation, reminder to get first vaccination for the baby
Spoken by: Fictional Doctor (male voice)
| Day 19 | |
6 | Avoid Bad Behaviours: Do not smoke or drink alcohol when looking after baby
Spoken by: Fictional Village Chief (male voice)
| Day 23 | |
7 | Keeping the baby warm: Baby should not be too hot or too cold. Mothers should not do ‘roasting’ – a traditional practice of sleeping in a sauna room
Spoken by: Fictional Elderly Grandmother (female voice)
| Day 28 | |
ALL | At the end of each message, there is a catch phrase: ‘If you notice something wrong with your baby, take him/her to the local health facility right away’. | ALL |
Results
Area of Demographic | Results: |
---|---|
Ownership of mobile phone | 70% (n = 90) |
Age | Average = 27 years (Range: 17-41 years) |
Marital Status | Married: n = 126, Widowed: n = 2 |
Parity | First time mothers = 61, Range 1-6 |
Number of people in the Household | Average = 5 (Range: 2-14) |