Factors associated with mother and newborn skin-to- skin contact practice in Rwanda. A secondary data analysis. RDHS 2019/2020

Abstract

Background: Newborn survival and development depend heavily on the neonatal period. Although there has been progress, there will still be 2.4 million newborn deaths worldwide in 2020. The regions with the greatest death rates are Sub-Saharan Africa and Central/Southern Asia. For every 1,000 live births, Rwanda has a rate of 17.9. In order to keep a newborn warm, encourage breastfeeding, and foster bonding, skin-to-skin contact (SSC) is essential. The reasons for inadequate practice of SSC in low- and middle-income countries, including Rwanda (75% compliance), are not known. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine factors associated with mother and newborn skin-to-skin contact practice in Rwanda.

Methods: This study was secondary data analysis from RDHS 2019-2020. The target population for this was 8092 children who were recorded in the survey. The 2019-2020 RDHS sample was selected using a stratified sampling technique. During data analysis, the descriptive statistics using frequency and percentages were used to gain insight into the data. The Chi-square test and logistic regression were used for bivariate and multivariable analyses, respectively. The final model was reached using stepwise backward model selection approach

Results: Among 8092 study participants, the proportion of mother and newborn skin-to-skin contact was 74.84% (6056 newborns). The multivariable analysis that considered the significant variable from bivariate analysis found that: four and more ANC visits compared to no visit (AOR=2.35; P-value =0.048) and the birth at a public (OR=52.00, P-value

Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that maternal age as a demographic factor positively influenced skin-to-skin contact between the mother and the newborn. This may suggest interventions of educational program for young mother to educate the young women on advantages of skin-to-skin contact. For obstetrical factors, the birth place also increased the likelihood of skin to-skin contact practice between the mother and the newborn. It indicated the role played by delivery at a health facility, emphasizing the need to sensitize women to delivery in a health facility.