Vol. 2007 No. 1 (2007)
Methodological Evaluation of Maternal Care Facilities Systems in Kenya: A Randomized Field Trial on Clinical Outcomes
Abstract
Maternal care facilities in Kenya are crucial for newborn health; however, their effectiveness varies significantly. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 200 pregnant women at four randomly selected facilities. The primary outcome measures included neonatal Apgar scores, birth weight, and early postnatal complications. Among the facilities tested, Facility B demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in neonatal Apgar scores (mean difference of 3 points on a scale of 0 to 10) compared to baseline. This was within the 95% confidence interval. Facility B's maternal care system significantly improved newborn health outcomes, warranting further investigation and implementation in other facilities. Health authorities should prioritise implementing Facility B’s maternal care protocols across Kenya to enhance neonatal survival rates. Maternal Care Facilities, Neonatal Health Outcomes, Randomized Field Trial Treatment effect was estimated with $\text{logit}(p_i)=\beta_0+\beta^\top X_i$, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.