Can in-service health professional training improve the resuscitation of seriously ill newborn and children in low-income countries?

Mortality among seriously ill neonates and children remains high in many low- and middle-income countries, even in healthcare facilities with professional staff. Most of these deaths occur within 48 hours of admission. In-service training courses in the emergency care of neonates and children are targeted towards professional healthcare staff. This is seen as a way of reducing mortality through training. However, most courses have been developed in high-income countries and their potential effectiveness in low- and middle-income country settings is unclear.

Key messages

In-service neonatal emergency care training of health professionals:

• Probably increases the proportion of adequate initial resuscitation steps
• Probably decreases inappropriate and potentially harmful practices per resuscitation
• Probably leads to little or no difference in mortality in resuscitation episodes
• Probably improves preparedness for resuscitation