Essential newborn care practices and determinants amongst mothers of infants aged 0—6 months in refugee settlements, Adjumani district, west Nile, Uganda

Background

Despite recent improvements in child survival, neonatal mortality remains high in most developing countries. Countries affected by humanitarian emergencies continue to report the highest neonatal mortality rates.

Objective

To assess essential newborn care practices and its determinants amongst mothers of infants aged 0–6 months in refugee settlements in Adjumani district.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers of infants aged 0–6 months in refugee settlements, Adjumani district. A total of 561 mothers of infants were selected using systematic sampling technique from households. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. A composite outcome variable, Essential Newborn Care practices was created by merging different care practices (neonatal feeding, thermal care, and cord care). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine predictors of Essential Newborn Care.

Results and conclusions

Over half (57%) of the mothers breastfed their newborns within one hour. Half (50.1%) of mothers cleaned the umbilical cord of their newborns. Only 17% of the newborns received optimal thermal care immediately after birth. Mothers aged 20–24 years (OR 0.38, CI 0.17–0.96) and those involved in subsistence farming (OR 0.67, CI 0.38–1.45) were less likely to practice good newborn care compared to those in other occupations. Newborn care practices were sub-optimal in this refugee setting. To improve newborn care practices, there is need to educate mothers through community-based health interventions in order to promote delayed bathing, ideal infant feeding, thermal and umbilical cord care.