Verbal Autopsies for Out-of-Hospital Infant Deaths in Zambia.

Objectives: In Zambia, a significant number of infants die in the community. It is hypothesized that delays in care contribute to many of these so-called "brought in dead" infants.

Methods: We analyzed free-text narratives from verbal autopsies, in which families narrate the final series of events leading to each infant's death.

Can traditional birth attendants be trained to accurately identify septic infants, initiate antibiotics, and refer in a rural African setting?

Background: Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of neonatal mortality. In populations with limited access to health care, early identification of bacterial infections and initiation of antibiotics by community health workers (CHWs) could be lifesaving. It is unknown whether this strategy would be feasible using traditional birth attendants (TBAs), a cadre of CHWs who typically have limited training and educational backgrounds.