Exploration of Newborn Care Practices among Mothers in Tertiary Care Hospitals of Rawalpindi; Insights and Implications

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the newborn care practices of mothers who presented to a tertiary care hospital of Rawalpindi district
and to ascertain the correlation between newborn care practices and different socio-demographic characteristics

Methods: In this Cross-sectional study, 232 mothers of newborns during the first seven days of live birth who reported In Holy
Family Hospital, Rawalpindi were interviewed through a self-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised of 3
sections. The participant's socio-demographic profile was the first, prenatal care was the second, and newborn care practices
comprised the final section containing 15 items. Data generated was analyzed using SPSS version 25.

Results: 69.4% of mothers practiced averagely, 19.8% practiced well, and 10.8% practiced poorly. Mothers who reported
having at least one prenatal visit were 92.7%. Ill practices regarding cord-care were reported as Eighty-six percent said they
used pyodine, oil, or spirit on the cord stump. Providence for appropriate skin and eye care was 93.5% and 71.1%, respectively.
Delayed Bathing (after a 24-hour period) following delivery was reported by 88.4% of respondents. The percentage of exclusive
breastfeeding was 38.4%. Only 15.9% of mothers started nursing in the first hour after giving birth. Pre-lacteal meals were
given by majority of our study participants i.e. 64.2% .65.5% participants reported giving colostrums to the newborn. A strong
correlation was established between good practices and urban living (p=0.006). Better hand hygiene before touching a newborn
(p=0.048) and bathing the infant after each episode of stool (p=0.026) was significantly associated with higher maternal
education level.

Conclusion: The care practices for newborns were mediocre. Health education can help women become more knowledgeable
about best practices for caring for their newborns.

Keywords: Newborn care, Cord Care, Pre-lacteal, Exclusive breast-feeding