Supervised and unsupervised birth and early newborn care practices in Papua New Guinea: findings of a maternal and infant health survey conducted in three provinces
- Author:
R. Emori
;
A. J. Vallely
;
H. Gouda
;
P. Siba
;
S. Phuanukoonon
;
G. Mola
;
C. S. E. Homer
;
L. M. Vallely
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:
Papua New Guinea medical journal
2017;60(1-2):27-40
- CountryPapua New Guinea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Summary
Poor women in remote areas in many countries remain the least likely to receive adequate health care during pregnancy and childbirth for various reasons. In Papua New Guinea (PNG) there is some documentation regarding why women do not attend for supervised births, but less is known about women’s perceptions and experiences of childbirth in the community or about newborn care practices in the first few hours following childbirth. As part of a wider maternal and infant health survey among 482 women in three sites in PNG, in this paper we describe women’s experiences relating to supervised and unsupervised births and newborn care practices. Among respondents, the majority (95%) reported attending for antenatal care at least once during their most recent pregnancy and almost two-thirds (65%) gave birth in a health facility. Among the health facility births,
88% were assisted by a trained health care worker. Among the women who gave birth in the community, 44% chose to do so. Primiparous women, those aged 15-24 years and women with secondary or tertiary education were significantly more likely to give birth in a health facility than multiparous women, those aged more than 24 years and women with none or only primary education. There were 489 live births, 93% of whom were breastfed. Overall 60% of women knew any danger signs in a newborn infant. Fever was the most frequently mentioned danger sign (81%). Knowledge of danger signs was significantly associated with giving birth in a health facility, being multiparous and having secondary education, compared with village birth, being primiparous and having none or only primary education. Our findings highlight the importance of using the opportunity at antenatal clinic to provide women with information and knowledge, not only on the importance of
attending for a health facility birth, but also on the importance of planning and seeking transfer to the health facility early.
