Prenatal and Delivery Care and Infant Survival in Amhara Region of Ethiopia
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Date
2002-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The low utilization of maternal health care services and high risk of infant death has been and still is
a serious problem of Amhara region of Ethiopia. Maternal and infant health care issues continue to
occupy a prominent place on the public health Agenda and National Population Policy
implementation. Prenatal and delivery care is emphasized in this study as a crucial intervention for
reducing the risks of adverse outcomes of infants' death. Using Data from 2000 Ethiopian
Demographic and Health Survey Conducted by Central Statistical Authority (CSA), this study
examines the status relationship and identifies the different factors associated with prenatal and
delivery care on infants survival in Amhara region of Ethiopia.
A total of 3713 infants of Amhara region were selected in the study. Both descriptive and inferential
techniques were used to analyze the DHS data. The univariate analysis is used to see the percentage
share of background variables, while the bivariate and multivariate analysis were employed to
examine the net effect and risk factors of prenatal and delivery care factors on infant survival. The
findings indicate the access to utilize the services is very low and its impact on infants' survival is
adverse. Only 1 in 5 infants mother received prenatal care and the majority of birth (97%) occurred
at home in the five years preceding the survey. While the infant mortality rate was high to 112 per
1000 live birth in the year 2000.
The bivariate analysis using the chi-square test showed the existence of association between the
maternal health care (prenatal delivery care factors), socio economic demographic factors and
infants'survival. The multivariate results using logistic regression Model assessed the probability of
infants' survival examining the independent strength of maternal health care factors alone in Model
1 .. socio economic and demographic factors in Model 2 and the effect of the whole factors in Model
3. The result revealed that prenatal and delivery care and the Socio economic, Demographic factors
exerting a Significant effect on infants' survival.
Finally, improvement in the access of utilizing the services, expanding the immunization of pregnant
women, improving mothers education, the quality and quantity of safe water, extended duration of
breast feeding through expansion offamily planning for spacing and raising the mothers age at birth
and minimum age of mothers at marriage are among the recommendation of the study.
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Keywords
Delivery Care and Infant Survival