BabyGel - en kluster-randomisert studie for å evaluere effekten av hjemmebruk av håndsprit for å forebygge allvorlige infeksjoner hos Ugandiske spedbarn

The objective is to determine if the provision of alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) to pregnant women for postnatal household use is effective in preventing severe illness or death during the first 3 months of life. Over 60 months, an open, 2-arm cluster-randomised trial will be conducted in which pregnant women will be recruited from homes within 72 villages in Eastern Uganda. Inclusion criteria: Women >34 weeks pregnant. Women unable or unwilling to participate are excluded. The intervention is ABHR to be used by mothers and any other baby carers for the first 3 months postnatally in addition to their normal hand washing. Women in the intervention villages will get a BabyGel kit containing a 5-Litre ABHR along with training at home in hand hygiene minimum of 4 times. Control clusters will receive the standard care and be monitored and followed up in the same way. All mothers receive a birthing kit with chlorhexidine gel and routine antenatal education.