• Ikechukwu Richard Okonkwo, Veronica Chinyere Ezeaka, Bello Mustapha, Obum Ezeanosike, Olukemi Tongo, Angela A Okolo, Eyinade Kudirat Olateju, Raphael Oruamabo, and Bede Ibe.
• Department of Child Health, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin, City.
• Afr Health Sci. 2019 Mar 1; 19 (1): 1563-1565.

BackgroundNeonatal resuscitation is a method of preventing morbidities & mortality from asphyxia. Up to 85% of facilities in sub-Saharan Africa lack supplies or skilled personnel for neonatal resuscitation. Relative to the place of birth and the skill of the birth attendant, a variety of resuscitative practice are employed to make babies cry instead of helping the baby breathe. Many painful procedures are applied when the baby is unable to cry after birth in the absence of a health care worker trained in bag-mask ventilation.ObjectivesTo ascertain the resuscitation practices in communities lacking bag-mask-valve devices.MethodsSurveys on the resuscitation practices during NISONM annual community outreach and mENCC trainings for four consecutive years in different geopolitical zones of the country.ResultsSpanking of the baby usually in the upside down position (>90%), body massage with hot compress or salicylate containing balms, herbal concoctions, injection hydrocortisone or crystalline penicillin were used.ConclusionThere is an urgent need to address the issue of training on bag-mask ventilation and provision for frontline healthcare workers in Nigeria as a neonatal mortality reduction strategy.

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