Referral systems for preterm, low birth weight, and sick newborns in Ethiopia: a qualitative assessment

Teklu, Alula M., Litch, James A., et al. Referral systems for preterm, low birth weight, and sick newborns in Ethiopia: a qualitative assessment. BMC Pediatrics, Aug 2020 20:409. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-020-02311-6

A responsive and well-functioning newborn referral system is a cornerstone to the continuum of child health care; however, health system and client-related barriers negatively impact the referral system. Due to the complexity and multifaceted nature of newborn referral processes, studies on newborn referral systems have been limited. The objective of this study was to assess the barriers for effective functioning of the referral system for preterm, low birth weight, and sick newborns across the primary health care units in 3 contrasting regions of Ethiopia.