TempWatchField Evaluation / White PaperProgramme Evaluation
Continuous Electronic Monitoring of Hypothermia in Newborns as an Intervention Allowing Quality Holistic Care for the Mother-Newborn Couple in Benin
Year
2021
Location
🇧🇯 Abomey-Calavi, Benin
Sample Size
404 LBW newborns (1,500–2,500 g)
Investigators
KOHOUN Rodrigue, CODO Estelle, SOGBOHOSSOU Paulin, SOMASSE Yassinmè Elysée
Institutions
Ministère de la Santé, Bénin · Enabel Benin
Background & Methods
Hypothermia is known as a common cause of death in newborns. This programme, implemented from December 2020 to December 2021 in the Abomey-Calavi health district, proposed an intervention based on an electronic device for monitoring hypothermia in low birth weight newborns to reduce neonatal mortality while aiming for holistic quality of care. The BEMPU bracelet alerts with an audiovisual alarm to ensure action is taken well before moderate or severe hypothermia can cause injury. Electronic bracelet monitoring was used for newborns of 1,500–2,500 g. Newborn electronic surveillance was complemented by KMC, exclusive breastfeeding, and systematic newborn examination, with weekly newborn health monitoring in health facilities and in the community. Data were collected through the DHIS2 database and supplemented by 78 individual interviews and 2 focus group discussions.
Key Results
| Outcome / Metric | BEMPU Group | Control Group | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborns receiving BEMPU bracelet | 404 of 410 enrolled | — | — |
| Hypothermia alerts successfully managed | 220 | — | — |
| Deaths among 404 community-followed newborns | 0 (zero) | 3 deaths in 6 referred to hospital (<1,500 g) | — |
| Mean weight gain at 1 month | 935 g ± 425.6 g | 579 g (Manazir 2009 reference) | — |
| District-level neonatal deaths | 14.5% decrease | Year-on-year comparison 2020–2021 | — |
- 1Zero deaths among the 404 LBW newborns followed in the community, compared to 3 deaths among the 6 very-low-weight (<1,500 g) newborns referred to hospital.
- 2Mean weight gain of 935 g in the first month — substantially higher than the 579 g reference from Manazir 2009.
- 3220 hypothermia alerts were successfully managed through KMC, demonstrating effective community response.
- 4A 14.5% decrease in neonatal deaths was recorded at the health district level over the 12-month programme period.
- 5The gender-sensitive approach — encouraging fathers to perform KMC — was well received and strengthened family engagement in infant care.
Why This Matters
This Enabel/Ministry of Health programme evaluation from Benin is one of the strongest real-world impact documents in BEMPU's evidence base. The zero-mortality outcome in community-followed newborns, combined with a district-level 14.5% reduction in neonatal deaths, provides compelling evidence for national scale-up and is consistent with UNICEF Benin's broader deployment results.
How to Cite
KOHOUN R, CODO E, SOGBOHOSSOU P, SOMASSE YE. Continuous electronic monitoring of hypothermia in newborns as an intervention allowing quality holistic care for the mother-newborn couple in Benin. Enabel Benin / Ministère de la Santé, 2021.
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