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Background:Neonatal deaths contribute significantly to slower progress in under-5 mortality reduction. Lack of sufficiently trained birth assistants partly contributes to early neonatal deaths. Resuscitation training equips frontline health-care workers (HCWs) with requisite knowledge and skills to prevent birth asphyxia.Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the immediate impact of newborn resuscitation training on cognitive ability of HCWs.Materials and Methods:This is a descriptive observational study using pre- and posttraining scores obtained by HCWs who were participants in 1-day training on emergency newborn resuscitation. The Newborn Resuscitation Manual of the UK Resuscitation Council (2006) was used to train HCWs. The course included lectures, skill and scenario demonstrations using mannequins, and basic resuscitation equipment. Cognitive knowledge was evaluated using a pre- and post-training questionnaire. Participants’ scores were collated, analyzed, and results were presented as tables, charts, and descriptive statistics with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant.Results:A total of 293 HCWs completed the course (81 doctors and 212 nurse/midwives), with variable improvements of mean posttraining marks over the pretraining scores. Resident doctors obtained significantly higher mean pre- and post-training marks with lower mean difference than senior doctors and medical officers. The junior nurses obtained significantly higher mean pretraining scores compared to the senior nursing cadre, while the intermediate nursing cadre obtained significantly higher mean posttraining scores compared to senior nurses.Conclusion:Resuscitation training improved the knowledge of HCWs. Further evaluation could ascertain impacts on knowledge/skills’ retention and neonatal survival. Preservice training and continuing education for frontline HCWs who conduct deliveries are recommended.

1999). There is a significantly increased prevalence of tinnitus in pregnant women compared with a similar non-pregnant group (Gurr et al. 1993).There are several speculations why tinnitus occurs in pregnancy. Hyperdynamic circulation, increase in perilymphatic fluid pressure and hormonal changes have been suggested (Preece et al. 1975).Tinnitus could be a warning sign of early pre-eclampsia (Shapiro et al. 1999). A rise in intracranial pressure (resulting from pre-eclampsia) can be transmitted to the perilymphatic fluid through the cochlear duct.We did a Medline search from 1966 to 2005, searching for cases of severe tinnitus in pregnancy, necessitating a caesarean delivery. No case has been reported so far.In this case, normal findings at otoscopy ruled out local pathology as a cause of tinnitus. A normal CT brain scan excluded temporal lobe lesions and glomus tumours of the internal ear. A normal carotid artery ultrasound ruled out a carotid body tumour. Our patient did not have any affective disorder (as is present in 40% of cases with tinnitus) or pre-eclampsia.With all major causes ruled out, we believe that the severe tinnitus was attributable to the pregnancy. We agree with other authors that tinnitus is common in pregnancy, and that complete resolution occurs once pregnancy is over. The uniqueness of our case lies in its severity, i.e. so severe that caesarean delivery was needed. We present this case as an unusual manifestation in pregnancy.

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