Effect of a Statewide Neonatal Resuscitation Training Program on Apgar Scores Among High-Risk Neonates in Illinois

Abstract

Although previous research has shown that the NRP instruction improves knowledge and skill among health care personnel in the delivery room, both short-term and long-term, there has been little evidence to demonstrate NRP impact on infant morbidity. Several strategies were used in this study to control for bias and to adjust for secular trends in decreased infant morbidity during the study period. This study demonstrated sufficient support for the hypothesis that a significant improvement occurred among neonates in their Apgar score after the NRP instruction in Illinois. Empirical support is provided for the clinical effectiveness of NRP instruction.

Positive Changes Among Very Low Birth Weight Infant Apgar Scores That are Associated With the Neonatal Resuscitation Program in Illinois

“…13 These and other factors 14 -17 and steps to reduce confounding in this study and a similar larger study with Illinois births by the same authors are discussed at length by Patel et al 4 NRP instruction provided training and credentialling of health care personnel in the delivery room to have the necessary knowledge and skill to apply successful procedures in a prescribed and timely sequence that includes suctioning, warming, drying, positioning, stimulating and checking vital signs, as well as determining if oxygen, positive pressure ventilation, cardiac compression, and endotracheal intubation are necessary within the first 30 seconds. If resuscitative intervention is deemed necessary, NRP training enhances timely interventions.…”

“…More detail about the methods is discussed in Ref. [4]. Several exclusion criteria were applied to birth data.…”

“…4 There are a number of limitations in this study. Firstly, the study is retrospective or historical and, thus, limited by the availability of a common newborn data base on the birth certificate files between 1985 and 1995.…”

“…Prior research has indicated a positive impact of NRP on high-risk newborns. 4 The present study, by the same authors, focuses on VLBW newborns in four weight groups who are more likely to need resuscitation and considered more likely to benefit from interventions by trained personnel.…”

Ensino da reanimação neonatal em maternidades públicas das capitais brasileiras

“…17 Theoretical and practical training in neonatal resuscitation also results in short term benefits for the newborn, including improvements in Apgar Scores. 20 It is within this context that the present study is situated, in attempting to find out how neonatal resuscitation training is given to students soon to qualify as physicians, pediatricians, neonatologists and nurses at public maternity As can be observed in the results, the hospitals and maternity units studied were predominantly public. The fact that 70% of them were in the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative program and 90% were referral centers for high risk pregnancies indicates that these are institutions that are concerned about the care that pregnant women and their newborn babies receive.…”