Essential newborn care practices of birthing attendants : an observational study

Abstract EN

Background: One baby or mother dies every eleven seconds somewhere around the globe.

Majority of newborn mortality can be preventable.

The high death and disease/injury rates among neonates are due to inappropriate hospital practices.

In the Libya, there is a slow decline of less than five-year-old mortality, but neonatal mortality has not improved.

Care of newborn after delivery by birthing attendants and mothers, called as Essential Newborn Care (ENC), promotes wellness and can heighten neonate’s survival.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the newborn care practices of the birthing attendants in Al-Bayda Medical Center and to confirm whether the birthing attendants are performing the four basic premise of essential newborn care as mandated by WHO.

Method: The study used a descriptive non experimental observational qualitative method to objectively illustrate how Essential Newborn Care (ENC) mandated by the World Health Organization (WHO) is being practiced by the birthing attendants of the Obstetrics Department in Al-Bayda Medical Center, Al-Bayda City, Libya in 2021.

The researchers used purposive non-random sampling to observe all the 20 birthing attendants after 100 normal spontaneous vaginal deliveries.

Data were presented using texts and tables.

Results: All the 20 birth attendants are between ages 30-55.

All have been practicing for 10 years and longer.

13 are high school graduates, 5 are have diploma, and 2 holds bachelor’s degree (botany and zoology).

During the 1st 30 seconds of delivery, 100% of the babies weren’t properly and thoroughly dried.

27 (27.0%) out of 100 babies receive the proper delayed cord clamping on duration time (after three minutes).

4 (4%) out of 100 mothers started early breastfeeding the while (96%) did not initiate early breastfeeding.

100 out of 100 (100%) of the mothers weren't encouraged to have an uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact with the baby.

Conclusion: Results revealed that the essential newborn care practices of the birthing attendants in the hospital was generally low.

Four points for observation were not done according to the suggested timeframe, out of 100 well babies: immediate drying of the baby-10; delayed cord clamping- 27; early breastfeeding-4; uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact- 0.

The problem rooted from low level of awareness, poor training, and understaffing.