| บทคัดย่อ(English) |
~iBackground~i: Traditional birth attendants (TBAs) are regarded as appropriate child health care providers in developing countries. Against the background of inadequate health services, TBAs are trained to promote breastfeeding, immunization and oral rehydration therapy as an extended part of their maternity care training in Bangladesh. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of trained and untrained TBAs advice on mothers practice in such aspects in the study areas. ~iMethods~i: Community-based cross-sectional comparative study using survey questionnaires with a part of qualitative in-depth interviews. Twenty eight trained TBAs (TTBAs) in two unions of Dhaka district and 27 corresponding untrained TBAs (UTBAs) in the same area were interviewed. The women whose last deliveries were attended by these TBAs in the preceding year were also interviewed to confirm the effect of TBAs advice on the practice of breastfeeding immunization and oral rehydration therapy. ~iResults~i: About 96%, 100%, 100% and 100% of TBAs claimed to give advice to mothers on strating time of breastfeeding within 2 hours, TT immunization during index pregnancy, DPT immunization of index infants and oral saline use of index diarrhoeal infants. The percentages were about 68%, 56%, 40% and 64% respectively in UTBAs. About 96%, 88%, 89% and 55% of mothers of TTBAs reported correct practising according to the advice of their TBAs in the above matters. In UTBAs the percentages were 95, 89, 92 and 42 respectively. Percentages of mothers actual practice of starting breastfeeding within 2 hours after birth were 80 and 75 among TTBAs and UTBAs, respectively. Two doses of teatanus toxoid coverage were 93% and 89%, and those for DPT was 79% in both groups. About 62% mothers of both groups reported their practice of oral saline administration to their diarrhoeal infants in the preceding month. ~iConclusions~i: Except for early feeding, added food and oral saline practice, the actual coverage was relatively satisfactory among the study mothers. Mothers satisfactory practice was likely to be independent of TBAs advice. |
