What’s women know about their maternal health and what’s they practiced in an underprivileged community of Bangladesh

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Narayan Chandra Das, MA Halim, AKM Fazlur Rahman, Abu Sayeed Md Abdullah, Animesh Biswas

Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Bangladesh
Nila Pharmacy, Bangladesh

: J Neurosci Clin Res

Abstract

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Introduction: Every year around 5500 mothers are dying due to maternal complications in Bangladesh. A large number of deaths are still occurring in the marginalized community. Women living in the hard to reach tea gardens areas in Moulvibazar district are straggling with early marriage, adolescent pregnancy and poor health seeking behaviour during gestational period.

Aim: The study explored knowledge and practices on maternal health of women at reproductive age in the tea garden community of Moulvibazar district, Bangladesh.

Methods: A cross sectional study was performed. 25 gardens were selected purposively in Moulvibazar districts out of 92 gardens. 529 mothers aged between 15-49 years who had a live birth between 1 March 2015 and 29 February 2016 was enrolled. Structured pretested questionnaire was used for face to face interview. Descriptive analysis of findings was performed.

Results: The study revealed that over 56% of the women aged between 20-49 years did not know about antenatal care (ANC) during pregnancy, only 8% mothers aware of recommended four ANC. Whereas, 51% of women aged between 15-19 years also unaware of ANC and only 6% mothers aware of four ANC. 77% of mothers had their last delivery at home, 35% of them performed by the garden health care provider (paramedic) and rest of them conducted by untrained birth attendant. Only around 18% of the mothers had their post-natal care in the last pregnancy. 40% of the others don’t have any ideas of maternal complications during pregnancy.

Conclusions: Women living in the tea gardens are still behind of knowledge on antenatal, delivery and post-natal care. Specific intervention focusing improvement of knowledge and practices of women on maternal health issues can help to improve overall maternal health status of this marginalized group. This will reflect on overall reduction of maternal mortality to reach sustainable developmental goal by 2030.

Biography

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Narayan Chandra Das, after passing the Examinations, SSC(1972) &HSC(1974) from Dhaka Board with distinction, he was admitted in Mymensingh Medical College under the Dhaka University, Bangladeh in 1976. He passed four professional Examinations regularly and obtained MBBS Degree in 1982. Then he had to undergone one year of strenuous in service training in Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, in Medicine, Surgery and Obstetrics & Gynaecology. After completion of inservice training and passing competitive Bangladesh Civil service(BCS)Examination under the Public Service Commision (PSC) in 1984, He obtained Government Service. One year training in Anesthesiology in Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka University, Bangladeh b) Six Month training in Medical Ultrasonography and Obstetrics& Gynaecologcal Ultrasound under Bangladesh Society of Ultrasonography (BSU) and Jafferson University USA, I have been doing Ultrasonography practice for the last 18 years. During this long period of Govt. Service I had been promoted from Medical Officer to Upazila Health & Family Planning Officer, Civil Surgeon(Administrative Head of a District), I retired in 2015 from the Govt. Service as Principal Scientific Officer (PSO), from the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control & Research(IEDCR), Directorate of Health Services(DGHS) Mahakhali, Dhaka,Bangladesh.

E-mail: drncdas@gmail.com