COLLEGE OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES SCHOOL OF NURSING DEPARTMENT OF NEONATAL NURSING

Abstract

Background: Early bathing is the washing or refreshing of a newborn's body in water before 24 hours following delivery. To prevent neonatal mortality and morbidity from neonatal hypothermia, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends postponing newborn bathing for at least 24 hours after delivery. However, previous studies were conducted in the facility level, which may not show the magnitude in the community. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess early baby bathing practices and associated factors among postpartum women. Objectives: The main aim of this study was to assess early newborn bath practice and its associated factors among the past six months postpartum in Kamba Zuria district, Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2024. Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among postpartum mothers who were selected randomly in the rural district of Kamba Zuria District, Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia. Data was collected from January 1 to 30, 2024. A standardized, interviewer-administered, and structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data was coded and entered into Epi Data version 4.6.0.6, then exported to SPSS version 26 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariate analysis was done by using binary logistic regression to see the association between each independent variable and the outcome variable. A statistical significance was declared at p-value < 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression, and an adjusted odd ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to show the strength of the association. Results: A total of 601 respondents participated in the study, resulting in an overall response rate of 96.4%. This study revealed that 290 (48.3%) mothers, with a 95% CI (44%, 52%), were practicing early newborn bathing. Antenatal care (ANC) follow-up (AOR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.087, 2.409), home delivery (AOR = 4.57, 95% CI = 3.046, 6.876), information about the time of baby bathing (AOR = 3.66, 95% CI = 2.48, 5.39), and knowledge about neonatal danger signs (AOR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.48, 4.1) were significantly associated with early newborn bath practice. Conclusion and recommendations: In this study, the early newborn bathing practice was high and also applied in contravention of the WHO recommendation. Therefore, continuous health education on the appropriate time of baby bathing, enhancing ANC service utilization, place of delivery, and neonatal danger signs are directive points to reduce malpractice.