Abstract:
Introduction: Care of all newborns includes immediate and thorough drying, skin to skin
contact of the newborn with the mother, cord clamping and cutting after the first minutes
after birth, early initiation of breastfeeding, and exclusive breastfeeding. Labour, birth
and the immediate postnatal period are the most critical for newborn and maternal
survival. Health care professionals in general play a role to ensure that the newborn has
best possible beginning of life, be aware of the potential problems and be alert to the
infants changing condition and to intervene appropriately when necessary. The study
aimed at description of the activities done in preparation for delivery and newborn care,
the immediate care provided to newborns and to determine performance of potentially
harmful newborn practices.
Methods: This was a cross sectional study, whose 39 study participants were all health
care practitioners involved in immediate care of neonates, the sampling method was
purposive, and a checklist was used to collect the data. Analysis was performed using
SPSS version 12 and analyzed into frequencies and percentages.
Results: A total of 39 health care workers participated in the study. Most items were
available in the delivery room, sterile gloves (100%), clean gloves (97.4%) and hand
sanitizer (64.1%). Initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of birth is at 70.5%,
reasons such as resuscitation of newborn, repair of episiotomy/tears were cited for not
initiating breastfeeding. Performance of inappropriate newborn practices such as lack of
provision of heat source during delivery (46.2%), inadequate drying of head (23.1%) and
placements on a cold surface were noted (3.9%).
Conclusion: Study findings highlight that quality of care was good in areas such as
preparation of items before delivery (sterile and clean gloves) and initiation of
breastfeeding within first hour of birth, but it was poor in relation to unavailability of heat
source and inadequate drying of newborn.
Recommendations: Provision of the needed supplies, items and equipment (heat source)
before each delivery and for provision of recommended immediate newborn care.
