A cross sectional study of newborn care practices in Gilgit, Pakistan

The purpose of this article is to explore the traditional newborn-care beliefs and practices and to identify factors that affect newborn health, aiming to design an appropriate, culturally-sensitive and acceptable intervention to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality.

A cross sectional study was conducted in the district of Gilgit in Pakistan. A structured questionnaire was administered to 708 mothers who gave birth to a live child in the past one year. Descriptive and inferential analysis was performed to identify socio-economic and health care factors associated with newborn care practices.

Illiterate mothers were more likely to use harmful newborn care practices, while those seeking health care from private sector were less likely to use harmful newborn care practices. Ninety-four percent of the newborns were given a bath soon after birth, likelihood to be 2 times more amongst illiterate mothers. Cord application was a very common practice, mostly with matti (crashed apricot seed), and a majority of the mothers reported newborn massage generally with mustard oil. The administration of colostrum as the first feed was relatively common in the study area. Twenty-seven percent of mothers reported giving pre-lacteals; from which prominent feeds included salt water (44%) and cow's milk (26%). Initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hour after birth was (71%), while (29%) reported to breastfeed their newborn within 24 hours. Thirty-seven percent newborns were exclusively breastfed for six months.

This study underscores the existence and predominance of risky practices in newborn care; that stresses the need for health education programs to ensure safety of the newborn.