Newborn care practices in an urban slum of Delhi

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite efforts by government and other agencies, neonatal
\nmorbidity and mortality continues to be high in India. Among other
\nreasons, newborn care practices are major contributors for such high
\nrates.\tAIMS: To find out the newborn care practices including delivery
\npractices, immediate care given after birth and breast-feeding
\npractices in an urban slum of Delhi. SETTINGS AND DESIGN : Community
\nbased, cross-sectional survey in a resettlement colony (a type of urban
\nslum).\tMATERIALS AND METHODS : Semi-structured, pre-tested schedule
\nwas used to interview 82 mothers of newborns in the study area. 
\nSTATISTICAL ANALYSIS : Data was analyzed using Epi - info version 6.04.
\nFischer exact test and c2 test were applied. A P value of less than
\n0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION : More than
\nhalf i.e. 26 (56.1%) of home deliveries, which were mostly conducted by
\ndais (24, 91.3%) or relatives in 4 (8.7%) of home deliveries. Bathing
\nthe baby immediately after birth was commonly practiced in 38 (82.6%)
\nof home deliveries. Finger was used to clean the air passage in most of
\nthe home deliveries (29, 63%). About 61% (28) of home delivered
\nnewborns were not weighed at birth. Rooming in was practiced in
\nmajority of the cases. A few of home delivered neonates (12) were given
\ninjection tetanus toxoid by unqualified practitioners. Use of clip,
\nband or sterile thread to tie the cord and no application to the cord
\nwas significantly higher in institutional deliveries. Breast milk as
\nthe first feed was significantly more in institutional deliveries.
\nThere is an urgent need to reorient health care providers and to
\neducate mothers on clean delivery practices and early neonatal care.