Revisiting community case management of childhood pneumonia: perceptions of caregivers and grass root health providers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, northern India.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the leading cause of under-five mortality globally with almost one-quarter of deaths occurring in India.

Objectives: To identify predisposing, enabling and service-related factors influencing treatment delay for CAP in rural communities of two states in India. Factors investigated included recognition of danger signs of CAP, health care decision making, self-medication, treatment and referral by local practitioners, and perceptions about quality of care.

Community-driven impact of a newborn-focused behavioral intervention on maternal health in Shivgarh, India.

Objective: To assess the effect on maternal health outcomes of a community-based behavior change management intervention for essential newborn care leading to a reduction in neonatal mortality.

Methods: A cluster-randomized controlled trial involving 1 control and 2 intervention arms was conducted in Shivgarh, India, between January 2004 and May 2005. Risk-enhancing domiciliary newborn care behaviors, including those posing a concomitant risk to maternal health, were targeted through home visits and community meetings.

Effect of behaviour change communication on qualified medical care-seeking for sick neonates among urban poor in Lucknow, northern India: a before and after intervention study.

Objective: To assess the impact of a behaviour change communication (BCC) intervention on qualified medical care-seeking for sick newborns in urban Lucknow, northern India.

Methods: Before and after intervention study conducted at two urban public hospitals at Lucknow. Neonates who did not have any morbidity or congenital malformation and were residents of Lucknow were enrolled within 48 h of birth and followed once between 6 and 8 weeks at the outpatients' clinic or home to assess the primary outcome measure which was qualified medical care-seeking for any neonatal illness.

Care-seeking behavior and out-of-pocket expenditure for sick newborns among urban poor in Lucknow, northern India: a prospective follow-up study.

Background: The state of Uttar Pradesh, India accounts for one-quarter of India's neonatal deaths and 8 percent of those worldwide. More than half (52%) of these deaths occur due to infections. In order to achieve Millennium Development Goal-4 of reducing child mortality by two-thirds by the year 2015, it is important to study factors which affect neonatal health.

Does 3-day course of oral amoxycillin benefit children of non-severe pneumonia with wheeze: a multicentric randomised controlled trial.

Background: WHO-defined pneumonias, treated with antibiotics, are responsible for a significant proportion of childhood morbidity and mortality in the developing countries. Since substantial proportion pneumonias have a viral etiology, where children are more likely to present with wheeze, there is a concern that currently antibiotics are being over-prescribed for it. Hence the current trial was conducted with the objective to show the therapeutic equivalence of two treatments (placebo and amoxycillin) for children presenting with non-severe pneumonia with wheeze, who have persistent fast breathing after nebulisation with salbutamol, and have normal chest radiograph.

Neonatal morbidity and care-seeking behavior in urban Lucknow.

We conducted this study to assess the neonatal morbidity and care-seeking behavior amongst slum and non-slum dwellers at Lucknow. One hundred and fifty neonates were recruited within 48 hours of birth from an urban Reproductive and Child Health center and followed up at 6 weeks +/- 15 days at home. Twenty five (16.