Abstract
This study was conducted to assess birth preparedness and complication readiness among postnatal mothers at Khombedza Health Centre in Salima District, Malawi. The study design was descriptive cross sectional and utilized qualitative data collection and analysis method on a random sample of 15 postnatal mothers. A semi structured questionnaire was used to assess birth preparedness and complication readiness among the postnatal mothers during their most recent pregnancy and child birth. The findings indicate that overall, all the mothers had attended antenatal care and were aware of the importance of seeking health facility delivery. The mothers were also conversant with the items to bring with them during labour and delivery. Results further show that the participants had some knowledge of danger signs during postpartum and also for the new born baby but had limited knowledge of danger signs during antenatal, labour and delivery. Although the mothers had planned to deliver at the hospital, they did not save money for transport. There is therefore a need to strengthen antenatal care education on birth preparedness and complication readiness. Such knowledge would assist pregnant mothers to identify danger signs during antenatal, labour and delivery and therefore seek emergency obstetric care on time to minimize maternal and neonatal mortalities.
Highlights
High rates of maternal morbidity and mortality remain a major public-health challenge in Malawi
Focused antenatal care (FANC) is a widely used strategy to improve the health of pregnant women and encourage skilled care during childbirth [10]
The participants in this study made a number of antenatal care visits and were conversant with more routine antenatal care such as being physically examined, being given medication when necessary, the importance of good nutrition during pregnancy, and the importance of exercises and creation of ample time for rest during pregnancy
Summary
High rates of maternal morbidity and mortality remain a major public-health challenge in Malawi. The majority of maternal deaths occur during labor, delivery, and within the 24 hour postpartum period [1]. Around 1500 women die worldwide from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth [2]. In Africa, apart from medical causes, there are numerous interrelated socio-cultural factors which delay care-seeking and thereby contribute to these deaths. For every 100,000 live births in Malawi, approximately 675 women die from pregnancy-related complications and 31 neonates die out of every 1000 live births [3]. Some of the factors that contribute to the high maternal and neonatal mortality deaths include delays in making the decision to seek care and arriving at the health facility late [4]
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