Abstract:
Childbearing women and infants in developing countries continue to experience unacceptably high rates of mortality and morbidity in spite of targeted initiatives to address the issue. The level of assistance a pregnant woman receives during childbirth has important health consequences for both mother and baby. This study was carried out to assess the knowledge, beliefs and practices of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in maternal and infants health care services in selected local government areas in Ibadan. A descriptive cross sectional survey design was used and the target population was 452 TBAs. 212 TBAs who met the inclusion criteria were purposively selected. Snowball sampling procedure was used to reach the TBAs who met the inclusion criteria and consented to participate in the study. The instrument for data collection was a-researcher developed interview guide. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequencies and percentages and inferential statistics of Pearson’s chi square to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significant. The result showed that only 46(22.55%) demostrated adequate knowledge of signs of complications of pregnancy. Majority 188(92.16%) showed adequate knowledge of signs that show that a woman is in labour and only 56(27.45%) demostrated adequate knowledge of types of care that should be rendered to the newborn child immediately after birth. Majority 157(76.96%) became TBAs through spiritual inspirations ranging from vision to revelations in their dreams. 73(35.78%) believed there was a ritual attached to their practices which varied from prayers to sacrifices. Many reported having encountered transformational experiences in the course of their practices in which 120(58.82%) were able to foresee deliveries that would come with ease or difficulty. They were found to provide a broad range of reproductive health care services to pregnant women, ranging from ante natal care through child-delivery, family planning services, treatment of infertility and management of threatened abortion to circumcision of babies but some of their actions in the course of delivering their services were considered dangerous. There was a relationship between the knowledge of pregnancy, childbirth and neonatal care and childbirth practices among the TBAs p < 0.05. It was also discovered that they were being patronized by most of the women because of their acceptability, accessibility, availability, flexibility in payment and for spirituality purposes. There was a kind of interaction with orthodox facilities especially in the services which they did not offer but failed to invite skilled attendants for inspection of their work places. Finding revealed the need to make health care services more accessible, affordable and available to all pregnant women especially the vulnerable rural dwellers.
