Read this whole article! I am just pulling out things that seem important to me.
Here’s the citation: Clean Birth Kits — potential to deliver? Evidence, experience, estimated lives saved, and cost. Blencowe H, Lawn J, Graham W. Save the Children and Immpact 2010. It is a 16 page paper, based on a March 25-6, 2010 meeting of a Technical Workshop on CBKs and “several recent scientific reviews.” (p.2)
According to this, one issue that seems to make evidence of the efficacy of CBKs hard to come by is that it is unethical to conduct a study of clean vs. unclean births. Absent this hard evidence, however, the paper says, ” there is strong biological plausibility, and this is an accepted standard of care…” (p. 2)
“Around 1 million deaths per year may be related to unclean birth” (p 4.)
Conclusion for now, in light of need for more research (p.3).
Mother-held CBKs are highly cost effective and considered appropriate in conflict or humanitarian emergencies, or in settings where there is currently low coverage of facility birth, as long as they do not act as a disincentive for facility birth. If mother-held CBKS act as an incentive for facility care, wider promotion would be justifiable.
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