Abstract
BackgroundThe importance of postnatal care cannot be overemphasised. Various studies undertaken worldwide have found that PNC is critical for the survival of newborns. However, in Zambia, despite much emphasis by the government and various international Organisations on the need for PNC, coverage continues to be low. This study attempted to assess the demographic and socio-economic factors associated with newborns' receipt of PNC and the timing of first PNC in Zambia.MethodsBased on data from the 2013-14 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey (ZDHS), this study used bivariate, stepwise binary and multinomial logistic regression analyses to examine PNC for births at home and at health facilities.ResultsThe results indicate that different factors influence the utilisation of PNC among home births, these include: place of delivery, mothers’ exposure or access to media and having 4+ ANC visits. On the other hand, place of residence and mothers’ access or exposure to media were found to be the determinants of PNC among facility deliveries. The results further indicate that among the home births, mothers’ media exposure or access to media, having secondary or higher education, and having 4+ ANC visits during pregnancy increased the odds of having PNC within 48 hours. Furthermore, attending the first PNC 48 hours after delivery was determined by place of residence, media exposure and 4+ ANC visits. On the other hand, among the facility births, the timing of PNC within 48 hours, was influenced by the perceived size at birth of the newborn.ConclusionThe study makes the following recommendations: more attention to be given to rural based women and newborns; encourage delivery at health facilities; more emphasis on the importance of ANC visits; and need to disseminate information through various media on the importance of PNC even in rural communities.
Highlights
The importance of postnatal care cannot be overemphasised
Newborns delivered at home had a higher proportion of 4th order births (60%) than newborns delivered in a health facility (40%)
Among newborns delivered at home, more than two-thirds were in poor households, while among those delivered at a health facility, poor and rich households accounted for about 40% each
Summary
The importance of postnatal care cannot be overemphasised. Various studies undertaken worldwide have found that PNC is critical for the survival of newborns. Postnatal care (PNC) is defined as the care given to the newborn baby immediately after birth (within 24 hours) and for the first 6 weeks. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations on PNC prescribe that, for every uncomplicated vaginal birth in a health facility, healthy newborns should receive care in the facility for at least 24 hours. Regardless of place of delivery, at least three additional postnatal contacts are recommended for all mothers and newborns, on day 3 (48-72 hours), between days 7 and 14, and 6 weeks after birth [14]. Less than a quarter of newborns in less developed countries receive PNC within 48 hours of delivery [3, 13]
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