Health Facility Delivery Research Articles

No difference in perinatal mortality between home and facility delivery in rural Tanzania: a prospective community-based study

Background Facility-based delivery with skilled birth attendants in an enabling environment is recommended for life-saving and for improving maternal and newborn health outcomes. Inconsistent results exist regarding the protective effects of facility delivery on maternal and perinatal mortality in developing countries. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the association between place of delivery and maternal and perinatal mortality. A secondary objective was to examine the association between place of delivery and maternal complications during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and 48 hours postpartum. # Methods This community-based prospective study recruited a cohort of 1719 women in their third trimester of pregnancy through a door-to-door survey in randomly selected wards in rural Geita Northwest Tanzania between September 2016 and December 2017. A total of 1385 eligible mother-infant pairs were followed to seven days post-delivery. Results Half of the women delivered at a health facility (52.23%). A limited number of maternal deaths (n=7) were observed; 3 of these occurred at health facilities. No association was found between place of delivery and perinatal mortality (adjusted odds ratio, aOR=1.60, 95% confidence interval, CI=0.65-3.80). The prevalence of maternal complications during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and 48 hours postpartum were 6.14%, 8.74%, and 12.56%, respectively. A higher proportion of women who delivered at health facilities reported complications during labor and delivery (13.26% vs 3.78%) and 48 hours postnatally (14.78% vs 10.14%) than women who delivered at home. Conclusions Health facility delivery was not associated with reduced perinatal mortality. A higher proportion of women who delivered at health facilities reported complications during labour and delivery. Controlling for maternal complications attenuated the association between place of delivery and perinatal mortality. Many health facilities in rural Geita Tanzania remain ill-equipped to deal with unpredictable complications during childbirth. Improving staff training, access to essential drugs and equipment, and quality care could reduce perinatal mortality.

Determinants of Maternal Health Care Utilization in the Era of Free Maternity Services in Busia County, Kenya

Purpose. The main objective was to establish determinants of maternal health care utilization and specifically to assess the trends of maternal health care utilization and determine the predictors of maternal health care service utilization in the era of free maternity policy in Busia County.
 Methodology. It was a cross-sectional study design. The study was conducted between February and April 2019. The research targeted mothers within childbearing age of 15-49 years and a sample size of 634 mothers was used. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Descriptive statistics was used to describe results on socio-demographic characteristics while inferential statistics employed bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions to investigate determinants of maternal health care utilization. Odds ratio was used to test the strength of association, and a p-value of ≤ 0.05 considered as statistically significant.
 Results. In 2010, FANC increased by 5.6% from 2010 (pre-free maternity period) to 2017 (post-free maternity era). There was also an increase of 2.2% cases of health facility deliveries during pre-free maternity period (2010) and post-free maternity period (2017). Eleven predictors of maternal health care utilization were identified. Among them were respondent being a farmer (OR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.4-4.8; p = 0.002), the status of the infrastructure of the nearest health facility maternity being good (OR = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.1-9.6; p = 0.03), fare for the public vehicle being USD 0.2 (OR = 3.4; 95% CI: 1.6-7.1; p = 0.001), all maternal health services being available in the nearest health facility (OR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.8-5.4; p<0.0001), difficulty to attend MCH services due to non-suitability of working days (OR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.5-4.7; p=0.0008), there being some services that clients pay for (OR = 3.3; 95% CI: 1.5-7.4; p=0.004), services being provided by nurses (midwives) (OR = 2.3; 95% CI: 1.0-4.9; p=0.04) , baby checkup being done within 24 hours by nurses (OR = 18.8; 95% CI: 8.0-44.0; p<0.0001. In conclusion, free maternity care program has led to increased utilization of facility ANC visits and deliveries in the study area. Barriers related to utilization of maternal health care services included unreliable transport especially at night, limited infrastructure and low socio-economic status of the women in the study area. National and county governments need to put in place strategies which will help them to jointly assess, map and plan investments to improve utilization of maternal health care services through prioritizing investments in human resource, infrastructure and commodities based on the anticipated demand for such services.
 A unique contribution to theory, practice, and policy: The study findings identified key factors that are unique to the mothers in Busia County on predisposing factors, enabling factors and the need characteristics that determine utilization of maternal health care in the era of Free Maternity services in the study area. These results contribute to both maternal health care utilization and policy change that could directly meet the social setting, geographical location and cultural needs of the people of Busia County.

Does knowledge of pregnancy complications influence health facility delivery? Analysis of 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey.

Only thirty-seven percent (37%) of deliveries occur in health facilities in Bangladesh despite the enormous benefits of health facility delivery. We investigated women's recall of receiving counseling on pregnancy complications and how it affects health facility delivery in Bangladesh. Data from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey was used for the study. After calculating the proportion of women who were informed about pregnancy complications during their last Antenatal Care (ANC) and the number of them who delivered in health facilities, Binary Logistic Regression was utilized in investigating chances of giving birth in health facilities among women who recalled they were told about pregnancy complications and those who were not told. The models were considered significant at 95%. A little above half of the women who were told about pregnancy complications during ANC delivered in health facilities (53.3%) and 43.6% of those who were not told delivered in health facilities. The findings revealed that women who were told about pregnancy complications during ANC were more likely to deliver at the health facility compared to those who were not told [COR = 1.56, CI = 1.31-1.87], and this persisted after controlling for the effect of covariates [AOR = 1.44, CI = 1.21-1.71]. This study has stressed the importance of telling women about pregnancy complications during ANC by revealing that telling women about pregnancy complications during ANC is likely to result in health facility delivery. Health workers should intensify health education on pregnancy complications during ANC and motivate women to deliver in health facilities.

Sociodemographic characteristics associated with the utilization of maternal health services in Cambodia

BackgroundCambodia is a Southeast Asian country and has one the highest rates of maternal and child mortality with inadequate use of maternal healthcare services in the region. The present study aimed to analyse the progress made in terms of using maternal healthcare services since 2000.MethodsTwo rounds of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS 2000 and DHS 2014) were used in the study. Sample population consisted 11,961 women aged between 15 and 49 years. The outcome measures were: Timing of first antenatal care (ANC) attendance, adequacy of ANC attendance, place of delivery and postnatal checkup. WHO guidelines were used to set the cut-off/define these measures. Data were analyzed in Stata version 14 using descriptive and multivariate regression analyses.ResultsFindings indicated that the overall prevalence of making the first ANC visit in the first trimester was 64.19% [95%CI = 62.22,66.11], and that of having at least four ANC visits was 43.80% [95%CI = 41.89,45.73]. Prevalence of health facility delivery was 48.76% [46.62,50.90] and that of postnatal checkup was 71.14% [95%CI = 69.21,73.01]. Between 2000 and 2014, the percentage of timely and adequate use of ANC increased by respectively 61.8 and 65.3%, while that of health facility delivery and postnatal care increased by respectively 74.5 and 43.9%. Important demographic, socioeconomic and geographic disparities were observed in the utilization of ANC, health facility delivery and postnatal care services. Urban residency, having better educational status, white collar job, access to electronic media showed positive association, whereas higher parity (having > 2 children) and unwanted pregnancy showed negative association with the use of maternal healthcare services. Having at least four ANC visits was associated with significantly increased higher odds of using health facility delivery and postnatal care.ConclusionThere has a been a remarkable increase in the prevalence of women who are using the maternal healthcare services since 2000. The current findings provide important insights regarding the sociodemographic factors associated with the utilization of maternal health services in Cambodia that could contribute to evidence-based health policy making and designing intervention programs.

65 Mama na Mtoto: Health Outcome Achievements Following Implementation of Comprehensive Maternal Newborn Programming in Rural Tanzania

Abstract Introduction/Background Preventable deaths in pregnant women and newborns remain unacceptably high in East Africa. Limited antenatal, delivery and postnatal care-seeking combined with service delivery gaps at government facilities contribute to high mortality. Between 2016-2019, partners from Tanzania, Uganda, and Canada jointly developed, implemented, and evaluated a comprehensive, district-wide maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) ‘package’ in Lake Zone, Tanzania. Known locally as ‘Mama na Mtoto’, the scale-up programming involved training and capacity building for district managers, health facility staff and a network of volunteer community health workers selected by their own communities. Objectives To quantitatively assess changes in MNCH health outcomes following the Mama na Mtoto intervention. Design/Methods MNCH household-level care-seeking outcomes were assessed using a pre/post coverage survey adapted from the Demographic Health Survey. Households and women (15-49 years), selected through cluster sampling (cluster unit=hamlet), were surveyed by local, trained research assistants using tablet-based surveys. MNCH service outcomes were assessed at all government health facilities using a comprehensive pre/post cross-sectional audit tool; key measures included staff, equipment, infrastructure, supplies, and medication availability. Descriptive statistics for antenatal care (ANC), health facility delivery (HFD), and postnatal care (PNC)-related indicators were analyzed pre- and post-intervention using R software. Composite health facility ‘Readiness Scores’ were calculated through tallies of relevant itemized facility-based measures for each core MNCH service area across the district. Absolute percentage differences, confidence intervals and design effect are presented where relevant. Results In total, 1,977 households, 2,438 women, and 45 health facilities were surveyed pre-intervention and 1,835 homes, 2,073 women, and 49 health facilities were surveyed post. Care-seeking indicators with statistically significant changes were ANC 4+ (+11%), ANC <12 weeks (+7%), HFD (+17%), and PNC for mothers (+9%); PNC for babies was not significant. Increases in composite MNCH Service Readiness Scores were as follows: ANC +24%, essential newborn care +42%, newborn resuscitation +37%, and labour and delivery +27%. Conclusion The comprehensive MnM package was associated with important improvements in the demand (care-seeking) and service (facility readiness) health outcomes. Attribution is complicated by an uncontrolled health system and lack of district controls; however, the extensive scope, reach, and positive changes are promising and consistent with sustained Ugandan experiences. Best practice documentation is critical to facilitate scale-up and progress acceleration of MNCH programs in Tanzanian and East African settings.

Geographical variation in determinants of high-risk fertility behavior among reproductive age women in Ethiopia using the 2016 demographic and health survey: a geographically weighted regression analysis

BackgroundMaternal and child mortalities are the main public health problems worldwide and both are the major health concern in developing countries such as Africa and Asia. The fertility behavior of women characterized by maternal age, birth spacing, and order, impacts the health of women and children. The aim of this study was to assess the geographically variation in risk factors of high-risk fertility behavior (HRFB) among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia using the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey.MethodsA total of 11,022 reproductive-age women were included in this study. The data were cleaned and weighted by STATA 14.1 software. Bernoulli based spatial scan statistics was used to identify the presence of pure high-risk fertility behavior spatial clusters using Kulldorff’s SaTScan version 9.6 software. ArcGIS 10.7 was used to visualize the spatial distribution of high-risk fertility behavior. Geographically weighted regression analysis was employed by multiscale geographical using Multiscale geographical weighted regression version 2.0 software. A p-value of less than 0.05 was used to declare statistically significant predictors (at a local level).ResultsOverall, 76% with 95% confidence interval of 75.60 to 77.20 of reproductive age women were faced with high-risk fertility problems in Ethiopia. High-risk fertility behavior was highly clustered in the Somali and Afar regions of Ethiopia. SaTScan identified 385 primary spatial clusters (RR = 1.13, P < 0.001) located at Somali, Afar, and some parts of Oromia Regional Stateregional state of Ethiopia. Women who are living in primary clusters were 13% more likely venerable to high-risk fertility behavior than outside the cluster. In geographically weighted regression, not using contraceptives and home delivery were statistically significant vary risk factors affecting high- risk fertility behavior spatially. No contraceptive use and home delivery were statistically significant predictors (at the local level) in different regions of Ethiopia.ConclusionIn Ethiopia, HRFB varies across regions. Statistically, a significant-high hot spot high-risk fertility behavior was identified at Somali and Afar. No contraceptive use and home delivery were statistically significant predictors (at a local level) in different regions of Ethiopia. Therefore, policymakers and health planners better to design an effective intervention program at Somali, and Afar to reduce high-risk fertility behavior and Special attention needs about health education on the advantage of contraceptive utilization and health facility delivery to reduce high-risk fertility behavior.

To what extent do community characteristics drive health facility delivery? Findings among Women who had recent live births in Nigeria.

Existing studies have established several individual drivers of health facility delivery in many developing countries. However, the community characteristics that drive health facility delivery have been less studied across developing countries. This study thus examines the extent to which community characteristics drives health facility delivery among women who had recent live births in Nigeria based on data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). A weighted sample size of 7,342 women was analysed. The outcome variable was health facility delivery. The explanatory variables were selected individual and community characteristics. Results show 39.7% prevalence of health facility delivery among the women. Findings further reveals that the community characteristics have significant effects on the variations in health facility delivery across the communities. Community characteristics significantly drive health facility delivery in Nigeria. More community-based priority actions are required to improve demand for health facility delivery in the country.

Effects of a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Mobile Health Program on Diarrhea and Child Growth in Bangladesh: A Cluster-randomized Controlled Trial of the Cholera Hospital-based Intervention for 7 Days (CHoBI7) Mobile Health Program

BackgroundThe Cholera Hospital-Based Intervention for 7 Days (CHoBI7) mobile health (mHealth) program was a cluster-randomized controlled trial of diarrhea patient households conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh. MethodsPatients were block-randomized to 3 arms: standard message on oral rehydration solution use; health facility delivery of CHoBI7 plus mHealth (no home visits); and health facility delivery of CHoBI7 plus 2 home visits and mHealth. The primary outcome was reported diarrhea in the past 2 weeks collected monthly for 12 months. The secondary outcomes were stunting, underweight, and wasting at a 12-month follow-up. Analysis was intention-to-treat.ResultsBetween 4 December 2016 and 26 April 2018, 2626 participants in 769 households were randomly allocated to 3 arms: 849 participants to the standard message arm, 886 to mHealth with no home visits arm, and 891 to the mHealth with 2 home visits. Children <5 years had significantly lower 12-month diarrhea prevalence in both the mHealth with 2 home visits arm (prevalence ratio [PR]: 0.73 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .61–.87]) and the mHealth with no home visits arm (PR: 0.82 [95% CI, .69–.97]). Children <2 years were significantly less likely to be stunted in both the mHealth with 2 home visits arm (33% vs 45%; odds ratio [OR]: 0.55 [95% CI, .31–.97]) and the mHealth with no home visits arm (32% vs 45%; OR: 0.54 [95% CI, .31–.96]) compared with children in the standard message arm.ConclusionsThe CHoBI7 mHealth program lowered pediatric diarrhea and stunting among diarrhea patient households.Clinical Trials RegistrationNCT04008134.

Diarrhoeal disease knowledge among diarrhoea patient housholds: findings from the randomised controlled trial of the Cholera-Hospital-Based-Intervention-for-7-days (CHoBI7) mobile health program.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the Cholera-Hospital-Based-Intervention-for-7-days (CHoBI7) handwashing with soap and water treatment mobile health (mHealth) program on diarrhoeal disease knowledge among diarrhoea patients and their household members in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh. A cluster-randomised controlled trial of the CHoBI7 mHealth program was conducted among diarrhoea patient households in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Patients were randomised to three arms: standard recommendation on oral rehydration solution use; health facility delivery of CHoBI7 plus mHealth (weekly voice and text messages) (no home visits); and health facility delivery of CHoBI7 plus two home visits and mHealth. An open-ended questionnaire was administered to 1468 participants 12years of age or older on diarrhoeal disease transmission and prevention. These items were combined to form a diarrhoeal disease knowledge score measured at baseline and at a 1week, 6month and 12month follow-up. At baseline, when participants were asked to report three ways diarrhoeal diseases were spread 37% (546/1468) of participants reported by water, 13% (187/1468) by lack of handwashing and 4% (53/1468) by food not being covered properly. At baseline when asked to name three ways diarrhoeal diseases could be prevented, 35% (515/1468) of participants reported safe water, and 16% (228/1468) reported handwashing with soap. At the 12-month follow-up, the overall diarrhoeal disease knowledge score was significantly higher in the mHealth with no home visits arm (score coefficient: 0.69, 95% Confidence Interval: 0.36, 1.01, P<0.0001) and the mHealth with two home visits arm (score coefficient: 1.18, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.49, P<0.0001) compared with the standard recommendation arm. The CHoBI7 mHealth program significantly increased knowledge of diarrhoeal disease transmission and prevention among diarrhoea patients and their household members 12 months after in-person visits for program delivery were conducted.

Effectiveness of Community Based Interventions in Reducing Maternal Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

Background &amp; Aim: Maternal mortality ratio for sub- Saharan Africa in 2010 was estimated to be about 600 per 100,000 live births, which is approximately higher than what is obtainable in advanced countries. To this end, several community-based interventions have been put in place by governments and developmental partners in the region to address the situation. This review aimed to seek evidence from existing literature on the level of effectiveness of these interventions in improving maternal health outcomes in the region. The literature search process resulted in retrieval of six full text studies that were written in English, published between 2000 and 2019 and were focused on intervention based at the community level which resulted in the reduction of maternal deaths in some sub-Saharan African countries. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool was used to critically review retrieved literature.&#x0D; Findings: Findings from the articles reviewed show that community based interventions with direct reduction on maternal mortality were implemented in Ethiopia and Nigeria and were effective since maternal mortality declined by 64% and 43.5% respectively. Other community based interventions did not directly address reduction in maternal mortality but rather addressed leading causes of maternal mortality such as home and unskilled birth attendance, low Ante-Natal Care (ANC) &amp; Post-Natal Care (PNC) services utilization, Eclampsia, delay in accessing care and Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH). Such interventions were implemented in Nigeria, Zambia, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo and were proved to be effective in reducing maternal mortality.&#x0D; Conclusions and Recommendations: Based on the literatures reviewed, it was concluded that community based interventions were effective in reducing maternal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa. The following recommendations were made based on gaps observed in the implementation of some interventions. Introduction of emergency transport scheme in countries where they do not exist as despite the existence of maternity waiting homes and dedicated maternity ambulances in Zambia, many expectant mothers still had difficulty reaching the health facilities in time to deliver, Engagement and training of more health workers so as to avoid human resources challenges that may be associated with increased demand for health facility deliveries.

A qualitative study of factors influencing the utilization of institutional delivery: Insights from pastoral communities, Southwest Ethiopia

Background & aim: The practice of institutional delivery services utilization is reported to be very low in Ethiopian pastoral community. In this regard, health programmers should gain an insight into factors influencing the utilization of institutional delivery to improve health facility delivery among these women. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in pastoralist communities of Bench-Maji zone, southwest Ethiopia within September-October 2017. The data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus-group discussions with women, health extension workers, traditional birth attendants, and supervisors of health extension workers. After transcription and translation, the data were thematically analyzed using Open Code software (version 3.6). Results: As evidenced by the results of the current study, poor risk awareness, inadequate infrastructure and transport, poor quality of care, and lack of financial independence hinder easy access to obstetric care. In this regard, readily available traditional birth attendants become the best alternative to the non-responsive health system. These communities were also marginalized since they receive less health education due to their long distances to healthcare facilities. Consequently, they are encouraged to deliver at home in the belief that only complications require medical attention. Conclusion: In order to design interventions to support pastoral women’s use of obstetric services, existing barriers need to be addressed together since they jointly hinder women’s access to institutional delivery.

Faktor-Faktor yang Berhubungan dengan Kunjungan Antenatal Care Ibu Hamil di Puskesmas

Peningkatan KPS Ibu di Indonesia yang melakukan pemeriksaan kehamilan dari 95,2% menjadi 96,1%, proporsi k1 ideal dari 81,3% menjadi 86%, proporsi pemeriksaan kehamilan (k4) dari 70% menjadi 74,1% sedangkan proporsi persalinan di fasilitas kesehatan dari 66,7% menjadi 79,3% (Riskesdas 2013). Tujuan penelitian adalah mengetahui yang berhubungan dengan kunjungan ANC di puskesmas pasar kota prabumulih tahun 2019. Penelitian ini menggunakan Survey Analitik dengan menggunakan pendekatan Cross Sectional. Populasi penelitian ini adalah keseluruhan ibu hamil dengan usia kehamilan trimester III yang berjumlah 54 orang. Sampel berjumlah 54 responden. Pada analisa univariat didapatkan responden yang usia beresiko 33 responden (61,1%) dan responden yang usia tidak beresiko sebanyak 21 responden (38,9%). Paritas risiko tinggi sebanyak 35 responden (64,8%) dan paritas risiko rendah sebanyak 19 responden (35,2%). Berpendidikan tinggi sebanyak 41 responden (75,9%) dan rendah sebanyak 13 responden (24,1%). Berpengetahuan baik sebanyak 43 responden (79,6%) dan kurang baik sebanyak 11 responden (20,4%). Analisa Bivariat menunjukkan Usia Ibu mempunyai hubungan yang bermakna dengan kunjungan antenatal care (p value 0,002), Paritas Ibu mempunyai hubungan yang bermakna dengan kunjungan antenatal care (p value 0,000), Pendidikan Ibu mempunyai hubungan yang bermakna dengan kunjungan antenatal care (p value 0,000) dan Pengetahuan Ibu mempunyai hubungan yang bermakna dengan kunjungan antenatal care (p value 0,000). Simpulan dari penelitian ini adalah bahwa ada faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan kunjungan antenatal care di puskesmas.

Determinants of healthcare facility utilization for childbirth in Kuantan Singingi regency, Riau province, Indonesia 2017

BackgroundReducing maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is a high priority public health issue in developing countries such as Indonesia. The current MMR in Indonesia is 126/100,000 live births. Optimum use of available healthcare facilities for delivery can avert maternal deaths. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with healthcare facility utilization for childbirth in Kuantan Singingi regency, Riau province, Indonesia 2017.MethodsWe conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in 15 sub-districts of Kuantan Singingi regency from May–June 2017. We selected 320 mothers from 15 sub-districts who delivered in the last 3 months (February–April 2017). Trained data enumerators collected the relevant data by using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. We used Cox regression analysis to determine the factors associated with delivery at healthcare facilities. Prevalence Ratio (PR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) for childbirth at healthcare facilities was the key outcome measure.ResultsOnly 54.4% (174) of the 320 mothers delivered at healthcare facilities. Knowledge about pregnancy danger signs (PR = 1.59, 95%CI:1.15–2.2), attitude towards healthcare services (PR = 0.79, 95%CI:0.33–1.89), and access to health care services (PR = 0.39, 95%CI:0.18–0.84) were the dominant factors of childbirth at healthcare facilities. There was an interaction between attitude and access to healthcare influencing delivery at healthcare facilities.ConclusionsUtilization of healthcare facilities for childbirth was low in Kuantan Singingi regency. Knowledge of pregnancy danger signs was an independent correlate of childbirth at healthcare facilities. Also, the interaction between attitude and access to healthcare showed a significant influence on childbirth at healthcare facilities. We recommend strengthening of existing maternal and child health program with a particular emphasis on complete and quality antenatal care, health education on danger signs of pregnancy and childbirth, and promoting positive attitudes towards healthcare facilities.

Assessment of birth preparedness and complication readiness among pregnant women attending the Obs/Gynae wards in two teaching hospitals in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

To assess the knowledge of pregnant women receiving antenatal care at the study sites about birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) and their knowledge about warning signs during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2018 to April 2019 in two teaching hospitals in Peshawar, Pakistan. Pregnant women aged 15-49years were recruited after consent. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Among 170 enrollees, 72.4% had not heard about BPCR. Transportation arrangements were done by 4.7%, blood donor arrangements by 10%, saving for emergency by 22.4%, and 42.4% identified a skilled provider. Prior selection of a health facility for delivery were done by 65.9%, and 71.8% received four or more antenatal visits. Vaginal bleeding (68%), placenta not delivered within 30minutes of delivery (62.9%), and vaginal bleeding ( 51.8%) were reported as warning signs during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum, respectively. Knowledge of BPCR and warning signs during all three phases of pregnancy was low. The increased antenatal visits are an opportunity to educate the mothers about BPCR and warning signs.

Prelacteal feeding practices in Pakistan: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundPrelacteal feeding, the feeding a newborn substances or liquids before breastfeeding, is a common cultural practice in Pakistan, but is associated with neonatal morbidity and mortality because it delays early initiation of breastfeeding. In this study, we sought to examine the social and cultural factors associated with prelacteal feeding in Pakistan.MethodsThis mixed-method study used data from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 2012–13. Findings from the survey were complemented by qualitative interviews with mothers and healthcare providers. In a subset of PDHS dyads (n = 1361) with children (0–23 months), descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis examined factors associated with prelacteal feeding. The qualitative study included in-depth interviews with six mothers and six health care providers, which were analyzed using NVivo software version 10.ResultsIn PDHS, a majority of children (64.7%) received prelacteal feeding. The most common prelacteal food was milk other than breast milk (24.5%), while over a fifth (21.8%) of mothers reported giving honey and sugar water. Factors associated with prelacteal feeding included: birth at public health facilities (AOR 0.46, 95% CI 0.02, 0.95), maternal primary education (AOR 2.28, 95% CI 1.35, 3.85), and delayed breastfeeding initiation (AOR 0.03, 95% CI 0.01, 0.61). In our qualitative study, the major themes found associated with prelacteal feedings included: easy access to prelacteal substances at health facilities, deliveries in private health facilities, prelacteals as a family tradition for socialization, insufficient breast milk, Sunna of Holy Prophet, and myths about colostrum.ConclusionsThese data indicate that prelacteal feeding is a well-established practice and social norm in Pakistan. Policies and interventions aimed at promoting breastfeeding need to take these customs into consideration to achieve the desired behavioral changes.

Factors associated with health facility delivery in Kitui County: a cross sectional study

Background: High maternal mortality rate is a major public health concern in developing countries. Skilled birth delivery is central to reducing maternal mortality, yet health facility delivery remains low in Kitui County, Kenya. Our study estimated prevalence of unskilled delivery and identified factors associated with health facility delivery in Kitui County. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted December 2017-February 2018. 245 women from five administrative wards were interviewed. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Variables that had p value ≤0.05 in bivariate analysis were included in multivariable regression model to assess for confounders. Variables with a p value of ≤0.05 in multivariate analysis were considered statistically significant at 95% CI. Results: We interviewed 245 (240 analyzed) women from the five wards; the majority were 16-25 years age group (45.5%; 110/240). Mean age was 27±6.6 years. Prevalence of health facility delivery was 50.4%. Distance from a health facility, number of children in a household, occupation of the respondent’s partner, number of antenatal clinic (ANC) visits and means of transport were significant factors for not delivering in a health facility. On multivariate analysis, women who lived &gt;5km from health facility were less likely to deliver in a health facility (AOR =0.36; 95% CI 0.15- 0.86). Women who attended ≥ 4 ANC visits were 4 times more likely to deliver in a health facility (95% CI 2.01-8.79). Conclusions: More than half of the respondents delivered in a health facility. A long distance from the health facility is a hindrance to accessing ANC services. Inadequate ANC visits was associated with home delivery. Improving accessibility of health care services and health education on family planning would increase delivery at a health facility. We recommend Kitui County introduce five satellite clinics/ambulatory services for expectant women to access ANC and maternal services.

Formative research to scale up a handwashing with soap and water treatment intervention for household members of diarrhea patients in health facilities in Dhaka, Bangladesh (CHoBI7 program)

BackgroundDuring the time a diarrhea patient presents at a health facility, the household members of the patient are at higher risk of developing diarrheal diseases (> 100 times for cholera) than the general population. The Cholera-Hospital-based-Intervention-for-7-Days (CHoBI7) is a health facility-initiated water treatment and handwashing with soap intervention designed to reduce transmission of diarrheal diseases between patients and their household members. The present research aimed to (1) develop a scalable approach to integrate the CHoBI7 intervention program into services provided at government and private health facilities in Bangladesh; and (2) tailor the intervention program for the household members of all diarrhea patients, irrespective of the etiology of disease.MethodsWe conducted 8 months of formative research, including 60 semi-structured interviews, 2 group discussions, and a pilot study. Thirty-two interviews were conducted with diarrhea patients and their family caregivers, government stakeholders, and health care providers both to explore existing WASH and diarrhea patient care practices in health facilities and to identify considerations for scaling the CHoBI7 program. Fifty-two diarrhea patient households participated in a pilot study of a modified version of the CHoBI7 intervention program for tailoring. Twenty-eight interviews and 2 group discussions were conducted with pilot households to explore experiences with and recommendations for intervention delivery.ResultsThe intervention program was modified based on formative research findings. Pilot study participants recognized the benefits of the CHoBI7 intervention program and made suggestions to improve the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention. Modifications included 1) providing additional pictorial modules, cues to action, enabling technologies, and supplies for safe drinking water and handwashing with soap behaviors in the health facility; 2) switching out technology prone to breaks and leaks as well as sourcing plastic technologies from a high-quality, local manufacturer; and 3) including instructions discouraging the non-use or misuse of technologies and supplies. Considerations for scalability include the local availability and marketing of enabling technologies and supplies, staff for program delivery in health facilities, and potential integration into existing government or health promotion programs.ConclusionsFormative research identified important considerations for the content, delivery, and scalability of the CHoBI7 health facility-initiated WASH intervention program.

Modern contraceptive use and factors associated with use among postpartum women in Ethiopia; further analysis of the 2016 Ethiopia demographic and health survey data

BackgroundThe postpartum period is a critical time to improve maternal and child health. It is a time for accessing contraceptives to prevent short inter-pregnancy intervals. More than 95% of postpartum women do not want to get pregnant within 12 months. However, many women in Ethiopia experience an unintended pregnancy, and there is low information about postpartum contraceptive use among women who have family planning demand. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of postpartum contraceptive use and its predictors among women who give birth 12 months before the survey in Ethiopia.MethodsWe used the 2016 Ethiopia demographic health survey data for this analysis. The survey was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted from January 18 to June 27, 2016. The survey employed a two-stage stratified cluster sampling technique. A total of 2304 postpartum women were included. Bivariate and multivariable logistics regressions were done to identify factors associated with postpartum contraceptive use. A p-value < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.ResultsAbout 23.7% (23.7, 95% CI: 20.7–27.0%) of postpartum women were using modern contraceptives. Women who were urban residents (AOR = 2.18; 95%CI: 1.34–3.55), those who attended secondary or higher education (AOR = 1.79; 95%CI: 1.04–3.10), women who attended 1–3 (AOR = 2.33; 95%CI:1.27–4.25) or 4 or more ANC visits (AOR = 2.59; 95%CI:1.43–4.69) and women who delivered at a health facility (AOR = 1.86; 95%CI: 1.23–2.81) had higher odds of modern contraceptive use during the postpartum period. Similarly, women who reported the last child was no more wanted (AOR = 1.83; 95%CI: 1.01–3.31), women who decided for contraceptive use (AOR = 2.03; 95%CI: 1.13–3.65) and women whose recent child was male (AOR = 1.38; 95%CI: 1.01–1.88) had higher odds of modern contraceptive use.ConclusionPostpartum contraceptive use was low in Ethiopia. Strengthening health facility delivery, promoting girls’ education and encouraging women’s participation in deciding for contraceptive use would improve the uptake of modern contraceptives use during the postpartum period.

Is it home delivery or health facility? Community perceptions on place of childbirth in rural Northwest Tanzania using a qualitative approach

BackgroundIn low and middle-income countries, pregnancy and delivery complications may deprive women and their newborns of life or the realization of their full potential. Provision of quality obstetric emergency and childbirth care can reduce maternal and newborn deaths. Underutilization of maternal and childbirth services remains a public health concern in Tanzania. The aim of this study was to explore elements of the local social, cultural, economic, and health systems that influenced the use of health facilities for delivery in a rural setting in Northwest Tanzania.MethodsA qualitative approach was used to explore community perceptions of issues related to low utilization of health facilities for childbirth. Between September and December 2017, 11 focus group discussions were conducted with women (n = 33), men (n = 5) and community health workers (CHWs; n = 28); key informant interviews were conducted with traditional birth attendants (TBAs; n = 2). Coding, identification, indexing, charting, and mapping of these interviews was done using NVIVO 12 after manual familiarization of the data. Data saturation was used to determine when no further interviews or discussions were required.ResultsFour themes emerge; self-perceived obstetric risk, socio-cultural issues, economic concerns and health facility related factors. Health facility delivery was perceived to be crucial for complicated labor. However, the idea that childbirth was a “normal” process and lack of social and cultural acceptability of facility services, made home delivery appealing to many women and their families. In addition, out of pocket payments for suboptimal quality of health care was reported to hinder facility delivery.ConclusionHome delivery persists in rural settings due to economic and social issues, and the cultural meanings attached to childbirth. Accessibility to and affordability of respectful and culturally acceptable childbirth services remain challenging in this setting. Addressing barriers on both the demand and supply side could result in improved maternal and child outcomes during labor and delivery.

PIH58 GEOGRAPHICAL DISPARITIES IN NON-UTILIZATION OF HEALTH FACILITY DELIVERY AND POSTNATAL SERVICES IN GHANA

Non-utilization of obstetric services results in higher rates of maternal and child mortality, and is clearly a threat to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) on maternal and child health in sub-Saharan African countries including Ghana. This study aims to: (1) identify communities with high risk of non-usage of health facility delivery and postnatal services to highlight areas that need critical attention, (2) examine the influence of community-level factors on non-utilization of health facility delivery and postnatal services in Ghana to inform targeted policies and programs to reduce these discrepancies across communities. This study used aggregated socio-demographic variables and Global Positioning System (GPS) data from the 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) dataset to identify the community-level risk factors for non-utilization of health facility delivery and postnatal services using a negative binomial regression model. In addition, spatial Poisson-based models were conducted using Spatial Scan Statistics to identify communities with high rates of non-usage of health facility delivery and postnatal services. Hotspots of non-use of health facility delivery and postnatal services were identified and were found to be especially concentrated among communities in the Northern region of Ghana. The analyses indicated that a woman who dwells in a community that is rural with a poverty rate above national level and a longer distance to a health facility has an increased risk of non-utilization of health facility delivery. High-risk communities were identified in this study using special analyses. The concentration of non-utilization of obstetric services among certain communities highlights the need to formulate community-specific strategies to improve uptake of maternal health services. The empirical evidence generated by this research could help planning and resource allocation to reduce health inequities.