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. 2017 Mar;17(1):7-13.
doi: 10.4314/ahs.v17i1.3.

Delivery practices, hygiene, birth attendance and neonatal infections in Karamoja, Uganda: a community-based study

Leah J Hopp  1
Affiliations

Delivery practices, hygiene, birth attendance and neonatal infections in Karamoja, Uganda: a community-based study

Leah J Hopp. Afr Health Sci. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Drawing attention to home birth conditions and subsequent neonatal infections is a key starting point to reducing neonatal morbidity which are a main cause of mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objectives: To determine the proportion of respiratory, ophthalmic, and diarrhoeal infections in neonates; the proportion of mothers of neonates, following clean delivery practices; and to explore existing community practices during delivery and the neonatal period.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, exploratory study, including 10 questionnaires and five Key-Informant interviews, in rural Karamoja, Uganda.

Results: Post-delivery razor blade and string use was 90%, but clean delivery surface use only 30%, while 90% obtained bathing water for neonates from boreholes. No mothers washed hands after latrine-related activities compared with 83% for food-related activities. None delivered in health centres or with skilled birth attendants. Respiratory infections occurred in eight neonates, compared to two ophthalmic infections, and no diarrhoea.

Conclusion: Use of clean delivery surfaces needs to be improved as well as washing after latrine-related activities. Diarrhoea was far less common than expected. Since rural Mother-Infant pairs spend the majority of their post-delivery time around the homestead, hygiene impacts neonatal infections to a large degree, possibly even more so than delivery practices.

Keywords: Karamoja; Nakaale; Nakapiripirit; Neonatal; Uganda; birth; clean delivery kit (CDK); clean delivery practices; community; delivery; diarrhoea; home; hygiene; infection; ophthalmic; respiratory; rural; traditional birth attendant (TBA).

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Respiratory infections were comparable among the UDHS 2011, Karamoja Region, results in children under five years old (86%) & Nakaale Parish study area (2013) results (80%). Cases of diarrhoea in the UDHS 2011, Karamoja, (93%) were high compared to cases from Nakaale (0%).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Clean Delivery Kit (CDK) items were used to various degrees by women on the day of delivery (N=10). Plastic sheets (3), razor blades (9), string (9), soap - by the mother (6), soap - by the Birth Attendant (BA), and cotton (1).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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