DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES OF INFANTS ADMITTED TO FACILITY BASED NEWBORN CARE UNIT: A CASE CONTROL STUDY.

Introduction:- Facility based new born care has been identified in treating sick child and providing support to low birth weight babies immediately after birth. This care is crucial in determining the child survival. Developmental milestones act as check points in a child’s development to determine what the average child is able to do at a particular age. Facility based care includes essential care at birth and care of sick babies which helps infants to grow at normal rate and live a healthy life. This study was an attempt to compare normal infants and infants admitted in FBNC units. Methodology:- The present study was undertaken to evaluate the developmental milestones of infants admitted in Facility based new born care also called Special New Born Care Unit at the time of birth, in Sawai Madhopur District. Data for infants born were taken from ASHA and AWW by investigators. The total infants tracked for the study were 2888, 1444- admitted to FBNC and 1444 from normal population were matched for age and gender from the same village. An Interview schedule was formulated to collect general information. Information related to developmental milestones like age of social smiling, neck holding, standing etc were recorded. Results: - The results of the study indicate that there was no significant difference in the 2 groups (FBNC and Normal) with regard to cognitive development. Ninety percent infants in both groups gave social smile at one month, neck holding at 3 months was seen in around 37 % in both groups, standing with support at 9 months was seen in 22 % infants and 4 % infants at 1 year, similarly speaking monosyllables at 9 months was around 20 % and at 1 year it was 4 % in both the groups. Although there was no significant difference between the 2 groups but with regard to cognitive development the indicators were not up to the acceptable standard of development according to age.