Measuring the quality of maternal and care processes at the time of delivery in sub-Saharan Africa: development and validation of a short index

Table 1 Items in the comprehensive and delivery-only indices^a

Indicator	Comprehensive Index	Delivery-only Index
Checks woman’s HIV status (checks chart or asks woman) and/or offers woman HIV test	+	–
Asks whether woman has experienced headaches or blurred vision	+	–
Asks whether woman has experienced vaginal bleeding	+	–
Takes blood pressure	+	–
Takes pulse	+	–
Washes his/her hand before any examination	+	–
Wears high-level disinfected or sterile gloves for vaginal examination	+	–
At least once, explains what will happen in labor to the woman and/or her support person	+	+
Uses partograph (during labor)	+	+
Prepares uterotonic drug to use for AMTSL	+	+
Self-inflating ventilation bag (500 mL) and face masks (size 0 and size 1) are laid out and ready for use for neonatal resuscitation	+	+
Correctly administers uterotonic (timing, dose, route)	+	+
Immediately dries baby with towel	+	+
Places newborn on mother’s abdomen skin-to-skin	+	+
Ties or clamps cord when pulsations stop, or by 2–3 min after birth (not immediately after birth)	+	+
Assesses completeness of placenta and membranes	+	+
Assesses for perineal and vaginal lacerations	+	+
Takes mother’s vital signs 15 min after birth	+	+
Palpates uterus 15 min after birth	+	+
Assists mother to initiate breastfeeding within one hour	+	+

^aIf an item is in an index this is signified by ‘+.’ If an item is not in an index, this is signified by ‘-’

ISSN: 1471-2393