Perceived Consequences of Home Deliveries on Mothers and Babies' Health in Anantigha Community, Calabar South Local Government Area, Cross River State

• Main Authors: Umoe Duke Emon, C. Nwakwue Ndukaku, Mary Ojong-Alasia, Brigid Barong Ogabi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Light House Polyclinic Mangalore 2020-12-01
• Series: Online Journal of Health & Allied Sciences
• Subjects: perceived consequences; home delivery; mothers; pregnancy; labour; birth complications
• Online Access: https://www.ojhas.org/issue75/2020-3-1.html

The study was conducted to identify the perceived consequences of home deliveries on mothers' and babies’ health in Anantigha Community, Calabar South Local Government Area, Cross River State. Four (4) objectives with corresponding research questions were formulated to guide the study. This study was a cross-sectional research design. After data collection, the sample size consisted of 279 mothers who were selected using the purposive sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data. The data collected was analyzed using simple frequencies, percentages, bar charts, and Pearson product-moment correlation statistical analysis. Findings in this study revealed that 115 (41.2%) women gave birth at home while 129 (46.2%) and 35 (12.6%) gave birth in health centers and hospitals respectively. Results further showed that: family and maternal income, the distance of the health center from a mother's home, cost of hospital care, attitude of health care workers and culture, and traditional norms were factors perceived to leads to home deliveries. Moreover, 79(28.3%) participants indicated that excessive blood loss was a consequence of home deliveries while 96 (34.4%), 58 (20.8%), and 46 (16.5%) participants each listed maternal death, maternal birth injuries and shock as health consequences of home deliveries. Similarly, 94 (33.7%) mothers indicated that stillbirths could result from home deliveries while 111 (39.8%), 46 (16.5%) and 28 (10.0%) mothers indicated: neonatal death, poor immunization practices and childhood abnormalities as consequences of home deliveries respectively. A test of the hypothesis revealed a significant relationship between the incidence and perceived consequences of home deliveries on mothers' health. Result significant at P < 0.05 r-cal = 0.25, r-critical = 0.18. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended among others that adequate information be provided on the importance of appropriate delivery service use for pregnant women.