Factors influencing deliveries under traditional birth attendants in Kaloleni and Rabai Districts of the Kilifi County, Kenya

Abstract

Home deliveries are a big contributor to maternal and neonatal deaths. The purpose of this study was to establish why a size-able number of mothers still deliver at home under Traditional birth attendants in Kaloleni and Rabai Districts of Kilifi County. The study was carried out from July-August 2012 through gathering qualitative and quantitative data from available health records, administration of questionnaires and focused group discussions tailored to fulfill the study objectives. The data was then analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and presented by use of frequency tables. From the study: young mothers below 20 years of age, from poor households, living more than 4 kilometers from a health facility in Kaloleni and Rabai region were the most likely to deliver under TBAs .These mothers were also found to be illiterate (>92%) and had been through very few years of schooling. It also came out clearly that close family relatives are an important factor as they influenced decision to deliver under a traditional birth attendants. Retrogressive cultural practices, poverty, poor accessibility to facilities and high rates of illiteracy are contributing factors towards home deliveries in the region. The study recommends that poverty reduction, provision higher level of education, involvement of the entire family in promotion of deliveries at hospitals and improvement of accessibility to health facilities at all times should be enhanced to get more mothers delivering at health facilities.