Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Dec 19;12(12):e063497.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063497.

Study protocol: 'a large cohort study of postnatal events in a not-for-profit referral centre in Vellore, South India'

Grace Mano R  1 , Ruby Angeline Pricilla  2 , Suja Kurian  3 , Santosh Joseph Benjamin  1 , Swati Rathore  4 , Hilda Yenuberi  1 , Shanti Dani Minz  5 , Manish Kumar  6 , Benjamin Jeyanth Ross  6 , Reeta Vijayaselvi  1 , Anuja Abraham  1 , Annie Prasanthi  1 , Thenmozhi Mani  7 , Sunil George Abraham  2 , Emily Divya Ebenezer  1 , Anne George  8 , Rohin Mittal  9 , Lakshmanan Jeyaseelan  10   11 , Jiji Elizabeth Mathews  12 ; PoNTiS Collaborative Group
Collaborators, Affiliations

Study protocol: 'a large cohort study of postnatal events in a not-for-profit referral centre in Vellore, South India'

Grace Mano R et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Introduction: In a large developing country, with diverse population characteristics and differential access to healthcare, it is important to identify factors that influence postnatal health. This knowledge will help frame recommendations to enhance universal postnatal care.

Methods and analysis: A prospective cohort study will be conducted by recruiting all participants who deliver in a referral centre in South India during a 1-year period after written consent is obtained from them. In addition to clinical information pertaining to their delivery and demographics, details of physical health, mental health socioeconomic status and emotional support will also be collected. Every participant will be followed up physically and/or by telephonic consultation at 3, 9 and 18 months of their postnatal period to reassess their status and that of their babies. As there are several independent and dependent variables requiring multivariate analysis, a sample size of 10 000 is considered adequate. Any unplanned visits to a health facility will be enquired into and documented for analysis.During data analysis, the effect of Caesarean section, high-risk characteristics and gestational age of the baby at delivery on various outcome measures and postnatal status will be evaluated. Interpretation of the large volume of collected data will help frame recommendations to improve postnatal care ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study is approved by the Institutional Review Boards (Research and Ethics Committees) of Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India (IRB 12178 date 24 June 2020).Women are provided with a detailed information sheet and written consent is obtained. They are reassured that their care will not be compromised if they do not consent to the study. Data will be available on the clinical trial portal to assist in the dissemination of results after the project is published.

Trial registration number: CTRI/2022/03/041343.

Keywords: AUDIT; Adult psychiatry; Health policy; Maternal medicine; NEONATOLOGY.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

References

    1. Ebenezer ED, Londhe V, Rathore S, et al. . Peripartum interventions resulting in reduced perinatal mortality rates, and birth asphyxia rates, over 18 years in a tertiary centre in South India: a retrospective study. BJOG: Int J Obstet Gy 2019;126:21–6. 10.1111/1471-0528.15848 - DOI - PubMed
    1. McKinney J, Keyser L, Clinton S, et al. . ACOG committee opinion no. 736: optimizing postpartum care. Obstet Gynecol 2018;132:784–5. 10.1097/AOG.0000000000002849 - DOI - PubMed
    1. National institute for health and care excellence . Postnatal care. quality standard. Manchester: NICE, 2013.
    1. Langlois Étienne V, Miszkurka M, Zunzunegui MV, et al. . Inequities in postnatal care in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Bull World Health Organ 2015;93:259–70. 10.2471/BLT.14.140996 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Singh A, Padmadas SS, Mishra US, et al. . Socio-economic inequalities in the use of postnatal care in India. PLoS One 2012;7:e37037. 10.1371/journal.pone.0037037 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types