Young infant nurturing practices among mothers of rural areas in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh: A community-based cross-sectional study

Introduction: Healthy initiation of life is essential in establishing the foundations of a healthy nation. Traditional care practices at home and in the community inevitably affect maternal and young infant health. The objective is to study young infant nurturing practices and factors influencing these practices in rural Agra. Material and Methods: This is a community-based cross-sectional study that was conducted in rural Agra, using a multi-stage random sampling method. A total of 240 mothers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Results: The study results showed that 65.0% of the mothers were following either satisfactory (58.3%) or good (6.7%) nurturing practices. Of the three components of nurturing, the majority (61.6%) of mothers had satisfactory (46.6%) or good (15%) breastfeeding practices, most (86.6%) were giving satisfactory (56.6%) or good (30%) thermal care and only 53.33% were following satisfactory (42.2%) or good (10.8%) hygiene practice. The practice regarding newborn care was found to have a significant association with the place of birth, type of delivery and educational status of the mothers and fathers. Conclusion: This study outcome shows the need for a better awareness and educational outreach program coupled with an effective health-care delivery system to improve young infant nurturing practices in achieving better health.

Neonatal Care Practices in Urban Villages.

Neonatal health is the key to child survival. Care practices during delivery and neonatal period contribute to risk of mortality and morbidity. The present study was conducted in two urban villages of east Delhi to study practices during delivery and neonatal period amongst mothers. A total of 100 neonate- mother pairs were studied. About two-third (64%) births took place at home, 48(75%) of the home deliveries were conducted by a traditional birth attendant. The traditional birth attendant did not wash her hands in 24 (37.5%) and did not wear gloves in 46(72%) of the deliveries conducted at home. Breast feeding was initiated within one hour in only 12% of the newborns. Early initiation of breast feeding was more likely in newborns with parents with higher education and higher income and those belonging to joint families. About one- third of newborns were bathed immediately after birth. Application to the cord was practiced by 86% of the mothers. The practice was not related to education of mother or income; it was more common in newborns whose fathers were more educated and those belonging to joint families. Thus unsafe traditional newborn practices are common in the area emphasizing the need for education in clean delivery practices and newborn care.