Home care practices for newborns in rural Southern Nepal during the first 2 weeks of life

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

6-1-2012

Journal

Journal of Tropical Pediatrics

Volume

58

Issue

3

DOI

10.1093/tropej/fmr057

Keywords

Essential newborn care; Feeding; Hygiene; Neonatal; Nepal; Thermal

Abstract

The provision of essential newborn care through integrated packages is essential to improving survival. We analyzed data on newborn care practices collected among infants who participated in a community-based trial in rural Nepal. Analysis focused on feeding, hygienic, skin/cord care and thermal care practices. Data were analyzed for 23 356 and 22 766 newborns on Days 1 and 14, respectively. About 56.6% of the babies were breastfed within 24 h and 80.4% received pre-lacteal feeds within the first 2 weeks of life. Only 13.3% of the caretakers always washed their hands before caring for their infant. Massage with mustard oil was near universal, 82.2% of the babies slept in a warmed room and skin-to-skin contact was rare (4.5%). Many of these commonly practiced behaviors are detrimental to the health and survival of newborns. Key areas to be addressed when designing a community-endorsed care package were identified. © The Author [2011]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

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