Family welfare and child health: a reappraisal of community based postpartum programme
Kumari, S.; Mittal, S.K.; Gupta, S.; Mishra, S.L.; Roy, D.D.
Indian Pediatrics 18(9): 619-623
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-6061 PMID: 7198618 Document Number: 172111
The community extension of a post-partum program at the Lady Hardinge Medical College [New Delhi, India] was evaluated by direct assessment of child health and by assessing the prevalence of family planning acceptance among 166 families residing in the area. The average number of children per family was 3.5. Only 30 (18.4%) of the couples were effectively protected and as many as 110 (65.6%) of the eligible couples were not practicing family planning; 32.1% of the children < 5 yr old were malnourished and 10-85% of the children < 6 yr old had not been inoculated with various commonly available vaccines. A time-motion study of the field staff working pattern revealed that they spent only 6% of their total working time engaged in child health work. It is suggested that the child health component of the post-partum program be augmented so that its overall objectives may be achieved.