Assessment of the role of traditional birth attendants in maternal health care in Oredo Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Since the adoption of the Primary Health Care (PHC) approach in Nigeria in 1979, government has recognized the need for integrating traditional birth attendants (TBAs) into the PHC system and had consequently initiated TBAs training programmes. In spite of the high patronage of traditional birth attendants, many of their practices during childbirth have been found to adversely affect the health of mothers. This study aimed at assessing the role of TBAs in maternal health in Oredo Local Government,

Rupture of unscarred uterus: a multi-year cross-sectional study from Nigerian Christian Hospital, Nigeria

“…This definition is however slightly different from the practice of TBAs in Nigeria as many of them provide some sort of antenatal and infertility treatment services. 9 TBAs are known for harmful practices which worsen the maternal mortality in Nigeria. 3,9 This study has again reiterated the dangers associated with TBAs as they were directly associated with more than 50% of the cases of rupture in unscarred uterus.…”

“…9 TBAs are known for harmful practices which worsen the maternal mortality in Nigeria. 3,9 This study has again reiterated the dangers associated with TBAs as they were directly associated with more than 50% of the cases of rupture in unscarred uterus. Observations at Nigerian Christian Hospital show that TBAs commonly use uterotonics (especially oxytocin) wrongly.…”

Prevalence and determinants of low birth weight: the situation in a traditional birth home in Benin City, Nigeria

“…20 In Nigeria, the TBAs delivers majority of pregnant women. 7 yet data on birth weight of children born in such centers is missing. This no doubt seriously threatens the validity of national statistics of LBW and further might skew the apparent results of interventions to reduce under-5 mortality rates by two-thirds in a country like Nigeria where utilization of TBAs by pregnant women is still very common.…”

“…6 In Nigeria as in most developing countries, the TBAs deliver majority of pregnant women. 7 While the services provided by TBAs are inevitable and widespread in rural areas due to the lack of/or poor access to orthodox health facilities, 5 a body of evidence is presently accumulating which suggest that many women in urban areas where physical access and financial barriers to facility based obstetric services are minimal, still choose the services offered by the TBA. 8,9,10 This trend inevitably results in more children been delivered by TBAs who are known to be largely uneducated, 11 and often unable to prevent and treat obstetric complications.…”

Tetanus in a post operative patient—A case report

“…The patient presented was a case of infertility who was ignorantly being treated by a traditional birth attendant (TBA). The activities of TBAs are known to involve the use of roots and occasionally waste products (animal dung and cow urine), flies, insertion of herbal vaginal pessaries and making of scarification marks into which some of their preparations are applied [16]. The genital tract having been reported as a portal of entry in 3.6% of cases [5] may implicate her treatment for infertility by the TBA as a possible source of infection.…”