Background:
Maternal and child health handbook (MCHH) consists of records of pregnancy, delivery, child development and immunization, as well as child growth charts. MCHH has been utilized in Japan since 1947 and it is now introduced in more than 20 countries in the world.
Objectives:
The objectives of this study were to collect research documents and reports in the past studies of MCHH and to analysis the effect of MCHH on maternal and child health through systematic review.
Methods:
The systematic searches were conducted for the studies published between 1980 and October 2011. After the initial screening of titles and abstracts of the studies, we reviewed 57 documents which were studied for MCHH in maternal and child health (MCH) programs or activities. After the final selection, we identified only 5 documents with 43 question items in Indonesia (1999 and 2001), Bangladesh (2003), the Philippines (2009) and Cambodia (2010).
Results:
The relationship between MCHH and pregnancy care revealed that mothers who used MCHH during pregnancy had higher level of knowledge (OR 1.44, 95% CI: 1.22-1.70) than whose did not use MCHH during pregnancy. The strong significant effects of MCHH were observed in knowledge of antenatal care visit (OR 1.86, 95% CI: 1.59-2.18), and mother should consume more food during pregnancy (OR 1.97, 95% CI: 1.37-2.83). Mothers who got MCHH during pregnancy had safer practice by skilled birth attendants (OR 1.12, 95% CI: 0.95-1.32) and delivered in health facilities (OR 1.31, 95% CI: 1.12-1.53). MCHH showed the effect of knowledge of child health care (OR 1.22, 95% CI; 1.05-1.41).
Discussion:
This study utilizing meta-analyses showed MCHH had higher association with knowledge of mothers than practice in pregnancy and child health care, although the study has its limitation. The illumination of the relationship between knowledge and practice by the effect of MCHH needs more quantitative analysis in both community and hospital settings in many countries.

Objectives
  The objective of the study was to analyze the effects of home-based records on pregnancy, delivery, and child health care in Indonesia.
Methods
  The data were obtained from women who had children under 5 years old at the time of the collection of the 2002, 2007, and 2012 Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys. The study divided women into two groups: those who used the Maternal and Child Health Handbook (MCHHB) or antenatal card (AC) as a home-based records group, and those who did not use MCHHB or AC as the control group. We calculated the adjusted odds ratios and expressed the effects using meta-analysis methods.
Results
  The study revealed that, compared with the control group, the home-based records group had more knowledge and better practices during pregnancy, delivery, and child health care (e.g., immunization). The home-based records group knew how to solve the problems of complications during pregnancy and used skilled birth attendants for delivery. This study also found that husbands in the home-based records group were involved in discussing the delivery location, finding transportation, and identifying a blood donor.
Conclusions
  This study showed that home-based records had strong associations with the knowledge and practices of women regarding pregnancy, delivery, and child health care.