Introduction on SAB

Majority of Birth in India take place at home and a large proportions are assisted by unskilled persons. The maternal mortality ration (MMR) in India is very high. The major causes of these deaths have been identified as hemorrhage, toxemia, anemia, obstructed labour, infection after delivery and unsafe abortion. There is enough evidence globally to demonstrate that skilled birth attendance and provision of a package of essential obstetric services close to the woman’s house at the time of an obstetric emergency are effective in reducing maternal mortality. A Skilled Birth Attendant (SBA) is defined as ---- ‘an accredited health professional such as midwife, doctor or nurse who has been educated and trained to proficiency in the skills headed to manage normal (uncomplicated) pregnancies, childbirth and immediate post natal period and in the identification, management and referral of complications in women and newborns’.