Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Even though the Ghana Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) initiative for scaling up service delivery is in place, the level of neonatal mortality remains high. OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to understand the current maternal antenatal performance and its effects on the birth weight of infants and selected new born care practices: Early initiation of breast-feeding; pre-lacteal feeding; Bathing of newborn after birth; Cord care; and Giving of water. METHODS: This community-based cross sectional survey combines both qualitative and quantitative data collection on a sample of 240 mothers and their babies; who were delivered in the community. RESULTS: A total of 81.7% (196) of the women begun seeking Antenatal Care (ANC) during the first trimester of pregnancy and 91.7% (220) attended ANC sessions four or more times. Application of inappropriate substances to the umbilical cord was 79.2% (190). Most women, 96.3% (231), gave colostrum to their babies. Women who gave birth to normal weight babies were about two times more likely to have attended ANC as early as in the second trimester compared to women who did not give birth to normal weight babies (OR=1.69, CI: 0.740--3.867); P=0.213. Mothers who initiated ANC in the first trimester gave colostrum to their newborn infants compared to those in the second and third trimesters (OR=6.28, X²=13.44, P=0.037). CONCLUSION: The study could not establish that early initiation of ANC in the first or second trimesters and maternal age at first delivery was independent predictors of the selected newborn care practices

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