Abu Sayeed Md Abdullah^1,2*, Farjana Haq³, Sumaiya Afroze Khan Atina¹, Md Mostafezur Rahman¹ and Md Abdul Halim¹

¹Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
²Department of Public Health Science, School of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University (MIUN), Sundsvall, Sweden
³Individual Consultant, Dhaka, Bangladesh

*Corresponding Author: Abu Sayeed Md Abdullah, Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB), Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Received: July 23, 2025; Published: August 04, 2025

Abstract

Introduction: Neonatal health in marginalized teagarden community is very much negligible and poor than many other areas in Bangladesh. The study explored knowledge and practices on neonatal health of women at reproductive age in the teagarden community of Moulvibazar district, Bangladesh.

Methods: A mixed method used both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A cross sectional survey was conducted in 25 purposively selected gardens in Moulvibazar district to obtain quantitative information. 529 mothers aged between 15-49 years who had a live birth between 1 March 2022 and 29 February 2023 were interviewed. To get qualitative data, 06 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with the same group of women in purposively selected five teagardens following a structured guideline. Descriptive analysis for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data were performed.

Results: 63.9% of women didn’t know about essential newborn care include wrapping and warming within first 24 hours. About 38% mothers were allowed to bath their babies within first 24 hours. Only 38% women give breast feeding to newborn within 30 min after birth. Whereas,17.2% mothers give other foods than the breast feed immediately after birth. Qualitative findings have shown that the families do the traditional practices by providing honey and sweet to neonates immediately after born. 51 % women used various substances on stump after cutting of umbilical cord. Qualitative findings explored that some of them didn’t allow cutting the umbilicus by the person whose title is lower cast to touch the baby. Some of them didn’t know to cut umbilical cord until removal of placenta. Family members also put mustard oil with hot garlic at neonatal umbilicus. They give ash dust and goat’s feces at neonatal umbilicus to take care of umbilicus. Some of them identified administrate hot oil to the ear of neonates up to 21 days after delivery. 77.5 % women didn’t know about neonatal complications. They firstly depended on traditional birth attendant during any complications. Then they depended on unqualified health provider at community like village doctors and Kabiraj. They didn’t want to go at facility due to misperception about the services at facility. Insufficient money and transportation problem also discouraged them to go at facility.

Conclusion: Although there is a good progress in improving neonatal health situation in Bangladesh, much improvement is required for essential newborn care. Under privileged community is behind of adequate knowledge on newborn care, believe, traditional practices and myth also identified as key challenges. Intervention focused on the underprivileged group addressing the gaps and challenges can improve overall newborn health and quality of life.

Keywords: Women’s Knowledge; Neonatal Care and Practice; Underprivileged Community; Bangladesh

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Citation

Citation: Abu Sayeed Md Abdullah., et al. “What Women Know About Neonatal Care and What they Practice in an Underprivileged Community of Bangladesh". Acta Scientific Women's Health 7.9 (2025): 02-08.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Abu Sayeed Md Abdullah., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.