Neonatal care in the home in northern rural Honduras: a qualitative study of the role of traditional birth attendants.

Traditional birth attendants (TBAs) have limited ability to reduce maternal mortality, but may be able to have a significant impact on neonatal survival. This qualitative study explores TBAs' (possessive) experience with neonatal care in a rural Honduran community. In 6 semistructured focus groups, TBAs described services they routinely provide to newborns.

Reduced postpartum hemorrhage after implementation of active management of the third stage of labor in rural Honduras.

Objective: To assess outcomes after auxiliary nurses were trained and given resources to use active management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL) for all women giving birth in a low-resource, low-risk, rural, public birth center setting in northern rural Honduras.

Methods: Auxiliary nurses received training on estimation of blood loss before the preintervention phase of the study (July 2004 through April 2005) and AMTSL, including use of intramuscular oxytocin, and estimation of blood loss prior to the intervention phase (July 2007 through June 2008). Preintervention and intervention data on use of oxytocin, blood loss postpartum, hemorrhage rates, and management interventions were collected and compared.