Variable selection
| Original hypothesised variable | Information available | Final variable |
| Maternal | ||
| Maternal age | Age | Maternal age |
| Parity | - | - |
| Age at first pregnancy | Age of marriage, age of cohabitation with husband | Cohabitation<16 years old |
| Literacy and education | Literacy, years of school completed. | Illiterate |
| Nutritional status | Height, weight, MUAC, months of household food insecurity | Underweight (BMI<18∙5) Chronic (>2 months) food insecurity |
| Antenatal | ||
| Antenatal care | Any antenatal care, four skilled visits | Any antenatal care four skilled antenatal visits |
| Preeclampsia | Headache, blurred vision, swollen face, short of breath, high blood pressure if checked | Symptoms of preeclampsia (any positive) |
| Eclampsia | Seizure in late pregnancy, seizure in labour | Presumed eclampsia (either positive) |
| Gestational diabetes | - | - |
| Labour and delivery | ||
| Place of birth | Place of birth | Facility birth (any hospital or clinic) |
| Skilled birth attendant | Who attended birth (alone, family, neighbour, community health worker, health assistant, midwife, nurse, doctor) | Skilled birth attendant (doctor, nurse, midwife, health assistant) |
| Prolonged labour | Labour duration | Prolonged labour (>20 hours) |
| Presenting part | Presenting part | Presenting part not head |
| Type of delivery | Type of delivery | Type of delivery (vaginal, instrumental, caesarean) |
| Induction and monitoring | - | - |
| Multiple birth | Twin pregnancy Birth order | Twin pregnancy |
| Risk of infection | Fever in labour, prolonged rupture of membranes, foul swelling discharge, dysuria in late pregnancy | Any risk of infection |
| Antepartum haemorrhage and placental abruption | Antepartum haemorrhage | Antepartum haemorrhage |
| Hygiene | Attendant washed hands, use of clean delivery kit | Kit use Hand washing |
| Foetal distress | Meconium | Meconium |
| Birth asphyxia | - | - |
| Neonatal | ||
| Prematurity | GA (months) by LMP | Preterm (GA<9 months) |
| Gender | Gender | Gender |
| Birth weight | Subjective size at birth (‘very small’, ‘smaller than usual’, ‘normal’), weight at 1 month | Very small Standardised weight at 1 month |
| Thermal care | Heated delivery room | Heating |
| Delayed bathing | Time to first bath | First bath at<6 hours old |
| Clean cord care | Type of blade used to cut cord, application of substances to cord | Sterile blade Dry cord care |
| Early initiation of breast feeding | Time to initiate breast feeding | Initiated within first hour |
| Discarding colostrum | Discarded colostrum | Discarded colostrum |
| Exclusive breast feeding | Other milk given, solids given, water given | Any supplemental feeds (first month) |
| Neonatal jaundice | - | - |
| Neonatal infection | Fever, cough, fast breathing, recession, diarrhoea and vomiting, dysentery | Any infant illness Fever Respiratory distress (fast breathing or recession) Diarrhoea and vomiting |
BMI, body mass index; GA, gestational age; LMP, last monthly period; MUAC, mid upper arm circumference.