Hand Washing Saves Newborn Lives

The study found a 19 percent lower risk of death among newborns born at home in rural Nepal when the birth attendant washed their hands before delivery. The study also found a 44 percent reduction in risk of death if mothers washed their hands prior to handling their newborn infant. The findings are published in the July 2008 edition of the journal Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine.

“Several studies have shown that a mother’s hand washing can reduce the risk of diarrheal disease in preschool age children, but this is really the first to examine the benefits of hand washing on overall mortality during the first month of life when many deaths occur,” said James Tielsch, PhD, the study’s senior author and professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of International Health.

The study enrolled 23,662 newborns who had been included in a larger evaluation of the effect of skin and umbilical cord cleaning on newborn mortality. More than 90 percent of the births took place at home or on the way to a medical facility. Researchers observed the newborns during the first 28 days of life through a series of 11 home visits. The mothers of the infants were questioned about their own hand washing practices and the birth attendant’s hand washing practices.

According to the study, 52.9 percent of birth attendants reported washing hands with soap and water prior to delivery while 14.8 percent of mothers reported washing hands prior to handling their infant. Newborns whose birth attendant washed his or her hands prior to assisting with delivery had a 19 percent lower risk of death compared to newborns whose attendant did not. Newborns whose mother washed her hands before handling their infants had a 44 percent lower risk of death compared to those whose did not. The overall mortality rate was 32.1 deaths per 1,000 births.

“More than 30,000 newborns die each year in Nepal. Our findings suggest that a substantial portion of these deaths could be prevented with routine hand washing practices,” said Tielsch.

Funding for the research was provided by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and U.S Agency for International Development.

“Maternal and Birth Attendant Hand Washing and Neonatal Mortality in Southern Nepal” was written Victor Rhee, MHS; Luke C. Mullany, PhD; Subrana K. Khatry, MBBS; Joanne Katz, ScD; Steven C. LeClerq, MPH; Gary L. Darmstadt, MD; and James M. Tielsch, PhD.

Source: Johns Hopkins University

Doctors: No hamsters or exotic pets for young kids
(AP) -- Warning: young children should not keep hedgehogs as pets - or hamsters, baby chicks, lizards and turtles, for that matter - because of risks for disease.
Calming your thoughts through mindfulness
Our worries. They're crescendoing like the finale of Beethoven's "Ninth": Bailouts, buyouts. Recession, depression.
Is the salad bar safe? Produce concerns linger after summer scares
Widespread reports had most people afraid to eat tomatoes this summer and when tomatoes were vindicated, eating peppers became a fear. A University of Missouri food safety expert says there is only so much that can be done to assure produce is safe to eat.
Flu shot does not reduce risk of death
The widely-held perception that the influenza vaccination reduces overall mortality risk in the elderly does not withstand careful scrutiny, according to researchers in Alberta. The vaccine does confer protection against specific strains of influenza, but its overall benefit appears to have been exaggerated by a number of observational studies that found a very large reduction in all-cause mortality among elderly patients who had been vaccinated.
Nothing stops an expert in the art of living
There are few things more irritating than a fly buzzing around the house. South African's have an unconventional solution to the problem. They hang up a bunch of Roridula gorgonias leaves. Attracted to the shiny adhesive droplets on the leaf's hairs, the hapless pest is soon trapped by the natural flypaper.
Respiratory illnesses and dog bites a concern for travelers to China for 2008 Olympics
As 600,000 visitors and athletes gear up to travel to China for the 2008 Olympic Games, travelers should be most concerned about respiratory illnesses and dog bites, according to report by an Emory University travelers' health expert, her colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and around the globe.
Study outlines measures to limit effects of pandemic flu on nursing homes
The greatest danger in a pandemic flu outbreak is that it could spread quickly and devastate a broad swath of people across the United States before there is much of a chance to react. The result could be a nation brought to its knees by a disease run rampant.
Backyard gardens need good food-safety practices, too
The recent tomato contamination outbreak has many people thinking about growing their own garden-fresh fruits and vegetables. But a food-safety specialist in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says it's not where the produce is grown, but how it's grown, so amateur cultivators should know a few important tips about home-garden food safety.

Hand Washing Saves Newborn Lives

Related stories:

News discussion: