Assessment of Maternal Healthcare Utilisation and Newborn Care Counselling in District Lucknow of Uttar Pradesh: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The majority of neonatal deaths can be prevented just by improving the quality of care during antenatal, intranatal and postnatal periods. Optimum utilisation of maternal healthcare services such as antenatal care (ANC) visits, skilled birth attendants (SBA), intranatal and postnatal care services is found to be associated with maternal health outcomes.

Objectives: To study Antenatal, Intranatal and Postnatal Care availed by Mothers during Current Pregnancy.

Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 360 mothers across three government Sick Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) of the district Lucknow. The interview schedule was pretested on 10 per cent of the total sample of mothers of neonates admitted to SNCU in Lok Bandhu Shri Raj Narayan Combined Hospital, Lucknow. Three days a week were selected randomly for data collection from three different SNCUs. One day was dedicated to collecting data from one SNCU.

Results: Majority (95.8 %) of mothers had at least one ANC check-up during the current pregnancy. The majority (62%) of the mothers had more than 4 ANC visits during the current pregnancy. The majority (69%) of mothers had their first ANC check-up in the 1^st trimester, followed by 25.8% in the 2^nd trimester, and only 5.2% in the 3^rd trimester. Only 28.3 per cent of mothers received counselling on newborn care during the current pregnancy. Almost all (92.5%) of the deliveries were attended by a doctor. It was observed that 72.8 per cent of mothers received counselling on newborn care during the postnatal period. 

Keywords: Maternal Healthcare, Sick Newborn Care Units, Counselling, ANC