Health Professional Assisted Kangaroo Mother Care Practice in Ethiopian Health Facilities: Evidence from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey Data

Abstract

Background Worldwide, 15 million babies born prematurely every year and over one million babies died because of premature birth complications. However, three-fourths of deaths from preterm birth complications are preventable without intensive care units. One of the prevention methods is Kangaroo Mother Care, which is a method of holding a small neonate in skin-to skin contact, upright prone position on the maternal chest. An evidence stated that KMC can prevent up to half of all deaths in babies weighing <2000 gm at birth. Ethiopian guidelines also mentioned that all LBW babies need to receive KMC. The aim of this study was to assess health professional assisted Kangaroo mother care practice and association among mothers who gave birth in a health facility in Ethiopia.Methods This study produced from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey data (EDHS). The 2016 EDHS used a stratified two stage sampling method to select a representative sample for the country, Ethiopia. According to the 2016 EDHS data, all the regions were stratified into urban and rural areas. The study sample refined from EDHS and used in this secondary analysis is 2,760 mother-child pairs. A logistic regression model was used to assess the associations with the size of a child at birth. Results mothers who gave birth in a health facility and practiced kangaroo mother care were 1808 (62.1%), 95% CI (60,3, 63.9).The others 1102(37.9%), 95%CI(36.1, 39.7) of mothers did not practiced KMC, although they were gave birth in health facilities under the support of trained health professionals. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, only wealth index, poorest ((AOR), (95%CI)), ((0.60), (0.43, 0.81)), and poorer ((0.62), (0.46, 0.86)) were associated with health professionals assisted KMC practice.Conclusions The prevalence of health professional assisted KMC practice was low, which was far lower than the expectation for mothers who gave birth in health facilities. Low socio-economic status was protective for not practicing KMC. The reason might be that mothers from higher income households might not initiate breast feeding, which might contribute for not practicing KMC. Thus, the minister of health or other researchers should study further why mothers from high income did not practicing KMC in considering the assumption of this author.