Prevalence and determinants of essential newborn care practices in the Lawra District of Ghana

Abstract Background There was less than satisfactory progress, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, towards child and maternal mortality targets of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5. The main aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and determinants of essential new newborn care pract...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mahama Saaka, Fusena Ali, Felicia Vuu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2018-05-01
Series:BMC Pediatrics
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12887-018-1145-4
_version_ 1819018792934572032
author Mahama Saaka
Fusena Ali
Felicia Vuu
author_facet Mahama Saaka
Fusena Ali
Felicia Vuu
author_sort Mahama Saaka
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background There was less than satisfactory progress, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, towards child and maternal mortality targets of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5. The main aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and determinants of essential new newborn care practices in the Lawra District of Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in June 2014 on a sample of 422 lactating mothers and their children aged between 1 and 12 months. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants who attended post-natal clinic in the Lawra district hospital. Results Of the 418 newborns, only 36.8% (154) was judged to have had safe cord care, 34.9% (146) optimal thermal care, and 73.7% (308) were considered to have had adequate neonatal feeding. The overall prevalence of adequate new born care comprising good cord care, optimal thermal care and good neonatal feeding practices was only 15.8%. Mothers who attained at least Senior High Secondary School were 20.5 times more likely to provide optimal thermal care [AOR 22.54; 95% CI (2.60–162.12)], compared to women had no formal education at all. Women who received adequate ANC services were 4.0 times (AOR  =  4.04 [CI: 1.53, 10.66]) and 1.9 times (AOR  =  1.90 [CI: 1.01, 3.61]) more likely to provide safe cord care and good neonatal feeding as compared to their counterparts who did not get adequate ANC. However, adequate ANC services was unrelated to optimal thermal care. Compared to women who delivered at home, women who delivered their index baby in a health facility were 5.6 times more likely of having safe cord care for their babies (AOR = 5.60, Cl: 1.19–23.30), p = 0.03. Conclusions The coverage of essential newborn care practices was generally low. Essential newborn care practices were positively associated with high maternal educational attainment, adequate utilization of antenatal care services and high maternal knowledge of newborn danger signs. Therefore, greater improvement in essential newborn care practices could be attained through proven low-cost interventions such as effective ANC services, health and nutrition education that should span from community to health facility levels.
first_indexed 2024-12-21T03:25:03Z
format Article
id doaj.art-83034b733ae647e4b31e1c03ac1788cf
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1471-2431
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-21T03:25:03Z
publishDate 2018-05-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Pediatrics
spelling doaj.art-83034b733ae647e4b31e1c03ac1788cf2022-12-21T19:17:37ZengBMCBMC Pediatrics1471-24312018-05-0118111210.1186/s12887-018-1145-4Prevalence and determinants of essential newborn care practices in the Lawra District of GhanaMahama Saaka0Fusena Ali1Felicia Vuu2University for Development Studies, School of Allied Health SciencesUniversity for Development Studies, School of Allied Health SciencesUniversity for Development Studies, School of Allied Health SciencesAbstract Background There was less than satisfactory progress, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, towards child and maternal mortality targets of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5. The main aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and determinants of essential new newborn care practices in the Lawra District of Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out in June 2014 on a sample of 422 lactating mothers and their children aged between 1 and 12 months. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants who attended post-natal clinic in the Lawra district hospital. Results Of the 418 newborns, only 36.8% (154) was judged to have had safe cord care, 34.9% (146) optimal thermal care, and 73.7% (308) were considered to have had adequate neonatal feeding. The overall prevalence of adequate new born care comprising good cord care, optimal thermal care and good neonatal feeding practices was only 15.8%. Mothers who attained at least Senior High Secondary School were 20.5 times more likely to provide optimal thermal care [AOR 22.54; 95% CI (2.60–162.12)], compared to women had no formal education at all. Women who received adequate ANC services were 4.0 times (AOR  =  4.04 [CI: 1.53, 10.66]) and 1.9 times (AOR  =  1.90 [CI: 1.01, 3.61]) more likely to provide safe cord care and good neonatal feeding as compared to their counterparts who did not get adequate ANC. However, adequate ANC services was unrelated to optimal thermal care. Compared to women who delivered at home, women who delivered their index baby in a health facility were 5.6 times more likely of having safe cord care for their babies (AOR = 5.60, Cl: 1.19–23.30), p = 0.03. Conclusions The coverage of essential newborn care practices was generally low. Essential newborn care practices were positively associated with high maternal educational attainment, adequate utilization of antenatal care services and high maternal knowledge of newborn danger signs. Therefore, greater improvement in essential newborn care practices could be attained through proven low-cost interventions such as effective ANC services, health and nutrition education that should span from community to health facility levels.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12887-018-1145-4Essential newborn careNewborn danger signsNeonate feedingOptimal thermal careSafe cord careLawra District
spellingShingle Mahama Saaka
Fusena Ali
Felicia Vuu
Prevalence and determinants of essential newborn care practices in the Lawra District of Ghana
BMC Pediatrics
Essential newborn care
Newborn danger signs
Neonate feeding
Optimal thermal care
Safe cord care
Lawra District
title Prevalence and determinants of essential newborn care practices in the Lawra District of Ghana
title_full Prevalence and determinants of essential newborn care practices in the Lawra District of Ghana
title_fullStr Prevalence and determinants of essential newborn care practices in the Lawra District of Ghana
title_full_unstemmed Prevalence and determinants of essential newborn care practices in the Lawra District of Ghana
title_short Prevalence and determinants of essential newborn care practices in the Lawra District of Ghana
title_sort prevalence and determinants of essential newborn care practices in the lawra district of ghana
topic Essential newborn care
Newborn danger signs
Neonate feeding
Optimal thermal care
Safe cord care
Lawra District
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12887-018-1145-4
work_keys_str_mv AT mahamasaaka prevalenceanddeterminantsofessentialnewborncarepracticesinthelawradistrictofghana
AT fusenaali prevalenceanddeterminantsofessentialnewborncarepracticesinthelawradistrictofghana
AT feliciavuu prevalenceanddeterminantsofessentialnewborncarepracticesinthelawradistrictofghana