Knowledge and practices of immediate newborn care among midwives in selected health care facilities in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: almost 99% of neonatal deaths occur in developing countries and these deaths can be prevented by the presence of a skilled birth attendant during labour. This study therefore assessed the knowledge and practices of midwives towards immediate newborn care. Methods: this study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. Eighty nine midwives were selected using purposive sampling technique from the two health facilities. Questionnaire was adapted from helping babies breathe manual. Data collected were analyzed with SPSS version 25 and the results were presented using descriptive statistics. Results: the mean age of the respondents was 33.20 years ± 8.07. More than half of the midwives (56.2%) had a good knowledge on immediate newborn care. About 62.9% had good practices of immediate new born care, though some still carry out some obsolete practices like routine suctioning of the airway of newborns, immediate cleaning/removal of the vernix caseosa with olive oil and immediate cord clamping. Conclusion: a bit above average of the midwives had good knowledge about immediate newborn care and some of the midwives still carry out obsolete practices that has been judge as non-beneficial and are not in line with recommendations of World Health Organization/UNICEF on immediate newborn care. This study therefore recommends that midwives undergo training and retraining on immediate newborn care and there should be increased awareness and education on recent up to date practices of immediate newborn care.