Lucy Thairu1, Hanna Gehling2, Sarah Kafwanda3,4, Kojo Yeboah-Antwi5, Davidson H Hamer6, Karsten Lunze7. 1. Mercyhurst University, Erie, PA, USA. 2. University Medical Center Giessen and Marburg, Giessen, Germany. 3. Zambia Center for Applied Health Research and Development, Lusaka, Zambia. 4. Tropical Disease Research Center, Ndola, Zambia. 5. Public Health Unit, Father Thomas Alan Rooney Memorial Hospital, Asankrangwa,, WR, Ghana. 6. Department of Global Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. 7. Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, 801 Massachusetts Avenue CT 2079, Boston, MA, 02118, USA. lunze@bu.edu.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Mothers in resource-limited areas face barriers in initiating care for ill newborns, leading to delays that may contribute to newborn mortality. This qualitative study conducted in rural Lufwanyama District in Zambia aimed to (1) explore mothers' healthcare-seeking related to newborn illness and (2) identify reasons for delaying care-seeking for ill newborns. METHODS: We examined the perspectives of 60 mothers and 77 grandmothers of children under three years of age in 14 focus group discussions as part of the Lufwanyama Integrated Neonatal and Child Health Program study. We conducted a thematic analysis of verbatim transcripts using dedicated software. RESULTS: Mothers and grandmothers were generally able to identify newborn danger signs and established a hierarchy of care-seeking based on the perceived severity of danger signs. However, inability to afford transportation, inaccessible health care facilities, high costs of medication prescribed at the health clinics, lack of respectful treatment and fear of newborns dying in the hospital prevented participants from seeking timely care. As traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and community health care workers (CHWs) have limited roles in newborns care beyond the immediate delivery setting, mothers often resorted to traditional healers for newborn care. CONCLUSIONS: Based on cultural beliefs and influenced by traditions, mothers in Lufwanyama have developed hierarchical strategies to seek care for ill newborns. Barriers to treatment at health facilities often resulted in traditional care. Training both TBAs and CHWs in providing community-based newborn care and appropriate referrals could improve care-seeking and prevent newborn mortality in rural Zambia.
OBJECTIVES: Mothers in resource-limited areas face barriers in initiating care for ill newborns, leading to delays that may contribute to newborn mortality. This qualitative study conducted in rural Lufwanyama District in Zambia aimed to (1) explore mothers' healthcare-seeking related to newborn illness and (2) identify reasons for delaying care-seeking for ill newborns. METHODS: We examined the perspectives of 60 mothers and 77 grandmothers of children under three years of age in 14 focus group discussions as part of the Lufwanyama Integrated Neonatal and Child Health Program study. We conducted a thematic analysis of verbatim transcripts using dedicated software. RESULTS: Mothers and grandmothers were generally able to identify newborn danger signs and established a hierarchy of care-seeking based on the perceived severity of danger signs. However, inability to afford transportation, inaccessible health care facilities, high costs of medication prescribed at the health clinics, lack of respectful treatment and fear of newborns dying in the hospital prevented participants from seeking timely care. As traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and community health care workers (CHWs) have limited roles in newborns care beyond the immediate delivery setting, mothers often resorted to traditional healers for newborn care. CONCLUSIONS: Based on cultural beliefs and influenced by traditions, mothers in Lufwanyama have developed hierarchical strategies to seek care for ill newborns. Barriers to treatment at health facilities often resulted in traditional care. Training both TBAs and CHWs in providing community-based newborn care and appropriate referrals could improve care-seeking and prevent newborn mortality in rural Zambia.
Authors: Victoria Aboungo; Elizabeth Kaselitz; Raymond Aborigo; John Williams; Kat James; Cheryl Moyer Journal: Midwifery Date: 2020-01-27 Impact factor: 2.372
Authors: Victoria L Ewing; David G Lalloo; Kamija S Phiri; Arantxa Roca-Feltrer; Lindsay J Mangham; Miguel A SanJoaquin Journal: Malar J Date: 2011-02-08 Impact factor: 2.979
Authors: Elizabeth G Henry; Katherine Semrau; Davidson H Hamer; Taryn Vian; Mary Nambao; Kaluba Mataka; Nancy A Scott Journal: Reprod Health Date: 2017-05-30 Impact factor: 3.223
Authors: Animesh Biswas; Sathyanarayan Doraiswamy; Abu Sayeed Md Abdullah; Nabila Hossain Purno; Fazlur Rahman; M A Halim Journal: Sex Reprod Health Matters Date: 2020-12
Authors: Julie M Buser; Cheryl A Moyer; Carol J Boyd; Davy Zulu; Alice Ngoma-Hazemba; Jessy Taona Mtenje; Andrew D Jones; Jody R Lori Journal: Midwifery Date: 2020-02-29 Impact factor: 2.372