A cross-sectional study of traditional practices affecting maternal and newborn health in rural Nigeria

• Published in: The Pan African medical journal Vol. 31; no. 64; p. 64
• Main Authors: Jimoh, Adenike Oluwayemisi, Adaji, Sunday Enema, Adelaiye, Hamdalla, Olorukooba, Abiola Aira, Bawa, Umma, Ibrahim, Habiba Ismail, Garba, Comfort, Mfuh, Anita Lukong, Idris, Suleiman, Shittu, Sunday Oladapo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Uganda African Field Epidemiology Network 2018; The African Field Epidemiology Network; The Pan African Medical Journal
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Breast feeding; Breast Feeding - statistics & numerical data; Child; childbirth; Childbirth & labor; Children; Children & youth; Childrens health; Consent; Cross-Sectional Studies; Delivery, Obstetric - standards; Delivery, Obstetric - statistics & numerical data; early marriage; Female; Female circumcision; female genital mutilation; Girls; harmful traditional practices; Home births; Home Childbirth - standards; Home Childbirth - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Infant Health; Infant, Newborn; International organizations; Male; Marriage; Maternal & child health; Maternal Health; Maternal-Child Health Services - standards; Maternal-Child Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; Midwifery; Midwifery - standards; Midwifery - statistics & numerical data; Mothers - statistics & numerical data; newborn; Newborn babies; Nigeria; Pregnancy; Rural areas; Rural Health Services - statistics & numerical data; Rural Population - statistics & numerical data; Surveys and Questionnaires; Teenagers; uvulectomy; Womens health; Young Adult; Nigeria; uvulectomy; Harmful traditional practices; childbirth; early marriage; female genital mutilation; maternal health; newborn
• ISSN: 1937-8688; 1937-8688
• DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2018.31.64.15880

Certain traditional practices which have negative effects on maternal and child health continue to be practiced in sub-Saharan African countries. A survey was carried out in a rural village in Nigeria to understand the scale and range of these practices. This was a cross-sectional study in which trained interviewers administered pre-tested questionnaires on child-bearing women using questionnaires embedded on android devices. The median age of marriage and pregnancy were 15 and 16 years respectively. Home births were high (90.4%) while non-skilled birth attendant was 87.4%. The community had a son preference index ratio of 1:4.1. Up to 81.5% of mothers responded that one form of unhygienic traditional procedure or the other was performed on their children. Time to initiation of breast feeding was in hours in the majority (76.3%) of mothers, with a high rate of use of prelacteal feeds (85.2%). Being an adolescent mother (AOR 0.403, 95%CI 0.203, 0,797) and utilizing a skilled provider at birth (AOR 0.245, 95%CI 0.088, 0.683) were associated with less likelihood of having an unhygienic procedure performed on children. The findings of our study suggest that traditional practices which could have negative effects on maternal and child health are still ongoing in the study community. Child protection laws and safeguarding principles could help to reduce these practices and would need to be developed and implemented in these settings where these practices are still prevalent.