BEMPU Health
TempWatchPeer-Reviewed PublicationNon-Randomised Controlled Trial

Impact of a Novel Hypothermia Alert Device on Death of Low Birthweight Babies at Four Weeks: A Non-Randomized Controlled Community-Based Trial

Year

2019

Location

🇮🇳 Rajasthan, India

Sample Size

386 LBW newborns (250 BEMPU, 136 control)

Investigators

Mona Sharma, Virginia Morgan, Murthy Siddadiah, Dinesh Songara, Rahul Dev Bhawsar, Ambey Srivastava

Institutions

BEMPU Health · WISH Foundation, Jaipur

Funded By

National Health Mission (NHM) Rajasthan

Published In

Indian Pediatrics

Download Full Paper (PDF)

Background & Methods

A non-randomized controlled community-based trial across 10 health facilities in Rajasthan — three Sick Newborn Care Units and seven Primary Health Centers — to assess the impact of the BEMPU TempWatch hypothermia alert device on 4-week mortality in LBW newborns. 386 LBW infants (< 2.5 kg) were enrolled: 250 in the TempWatch group and 136 in the control group. This paper is the peer-reviewed publication of data collected during the NHM Rajasthan state pilot program.

Key Results

Outcome / MetricBEMPU GroupControl Groupp-value
Mortality at 4 weeks6%14%0.013

Key Outcomes — Visual Comparison

Mortality at 4 weeks

BEMPU
6%
Control
14%

p = 0.013

BEMPU groupControl / comparison
  • 1Mortality at 4 weeks was significantly lower in the BEMPU group — 6% versus 14% in the control group (p=0.013).
  • 2This represents a 57% relative reduction in 4-week mortality.
  • 3The study was conducted across both SNCUs and community-level PHCs, demonstrating the device's effectiveness at multiple levels of the health system.
  • 4Qualitative findings documented BEMPU alerts prompting parents to seek care and perform KMC, directly contributing to the survival benefit.

Why This Matters

This is the first peer-reviewed paper to demonstrate a significant reduction in neonatal mortality from TempWatch use. Published in Indian Pediatrics — India's leading pediatric journal — the mortality finding (6% vs 14%, p=0.013) is the single most cited evidence point for TempWatch's public health impact.

How to Cite

Sharma M, Morgan V, Siddadiah M, et al. Impact of a novel hypothermia alert device on death of low birthweight babies at four weeks: a non-randomized controlled community-based trial. Indian Pediatrics. 2020 (e-pub Feb 2020).
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