Self Help Groups and Newborn Care Practices Among the Most Marginalized
Saggurti et al. (2019) assessed the effect of a newborn care intervention through SHGs on improving new-born healthcare practices in rural Bihar, India. They analysed three cross-sectional surveys between 2013 and 2016. The quasi experimental study deemed that sharing messages on appropriate new-born practices through SHGs did in fact improve new-born care practices, evident within one year of the intervention. They found the improved behaviors were sustained even after 3 years. Intervention groups showed greater improvement than control groups in the timely initiation of breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding on day 1, initiation of skin-to-skin care and delayed bathing, with greater effect on home deliveries where clinical care is often absent.