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Home-based care boosts preterm baby development.
5 Oct
Summary
- ASHA workers guide parents with digital instructions and videos.
- Doctors monitor preterm babies via teleconsultation.
- Project uses a Rs 1.28-crore grant from ICMR.
A significant new initiative, commencing in November, will extend vital developmental support for preterm infants directly into their homes. Spearheaded by Dr. Suchetha S Rao at Kasturba Medical College (KMC), Mangaluru, the project aims to enhance neurodevelopmental outcomes for moderate and late preterm infants during their crucial first two years.
The three-year program, backed by a Rs 1.28-crore grant from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), will leverage a digital platform. This platform will equip Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers with tailored instructions and video guidance for parents to perform developmental activities with their babies.
This approach is designed to make early intervention more accessible, particularly for families in remote areas who face challenges with frequent hospital visits. Paediatricians at KMC will utilize teleconsultation to monitor the children's progress and provide guidance to ASHA workers, ensuring personalized care.
The project, titled 'Development, validation and evaluation of an integrated digital platform and ASHA-supported home-based intervention to improve neurodevelopmental outcomes in moderate and late preterm infants', emphasizes a multidisciplinary collaboration. It brings together specialists in paediatrics, community medicine, and engineers from NITK, Surathkal, along with ASHA workers, to ensure continuity of care and reduce the number of children lost to follow-up after hospital discharge.
