Effect of timing of first postnatal care home visit on neonatal mortality in Bangladesh: a observational cohort study

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of the timing of first postnatal home visit by community health workers on neonatal mortality. DESIGN: Analysis of prospectively collected data using time varying discrete hazard models to estimate hazard ratios for neonatal mortality according to day of first postnatal home visit. DATA SOURCE: Data from a community based trial of neonatal care interventions conducted in Bangladesh during 2004-5. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Neonatal mortality. RESULTS: 9211 live births were included. Among infants who survived the first day of life, neonatal mortality was 67% lower in those who received a visit on day one than in those who received no visit (adjusted hazard ratio 0.33, 95% confidence interval 0.23 to 0.46; P<0.001). For those infants who…