Design-Stage Trial of Gentamicin in the Uniject Device

even before the infectious agent is known, and a strong emphasis must be placed on the urgencyof recognizing and managing newborn illnesses. 5 When neonatal infections occur, many deathscan be avoided if the signs are recognized early and the disease is treated promptly.Every year, an estimated 60 million women give birth outside health facilities—usually at home—and another 52 million births occur without the presence of a skilled birth attendant. 8 The signs ofinfectious disease are most likely to manifest while the infant is at home, and families in manysocieties are reluctant to seek care for newborns outside the home, particularly at formal healthcare facilities, even when the infants are ill. 9-11 Therefore, an important strategy for reducingneonatal mortality will be to improve the ability of caretakers in the family and community and offirst-line health workers to prevent, recognize, and manage infections. 12 In some settings, treatmentwill need to be initiated, and perhaps completed, right in the home. Moreover, as care-seekingbehavior for newborn illness improves, it also will be important to provide effective and safetreatment at points of first contact with the health care system.Final Report(2) Gentamicin in Uniject: A Feasibility Study