THE IMPACT OF TRADITIONAL BIRTH ATTENDANT PRACTICE IN THE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
ABSTRACT
The study is designed to examine the impact of traditional birth attendant practices (TBAs) in primary health care and on women. Randomly-selected women (n=100) were interviewed to gain a more thorough understanding of the impact of traditional birth attendant practices (TBAs) in primary health care.
Research question 1: what made women start receiving care from traditional birth attendant? Shows that 12% visits TBAs because of the cost of services in the hospital, 32% visits TBAs because of family member’s opinion while 36% visits TBAs because of accessibility.
Research question 2: Have they ever encountered any complications from birth complication from birth attendant’s shows that 68% of the respondents have encountered complications while 32% of while respondents have not.
Research question 3: What forms of complications do pregnant women encounter from traditional birth attendant? Shows that 31.3% of the respondent had excessive bleeding, 26.9% had retention of placenta, 11.9% had fresh stillbirth, 10.4% of the respondent lost their babies and 6.0% had in one way or the other lost a relative.
Research question 4: How were the complications resolved? Shows that 22% of the respondents were referred to the hospital, 23.7% was solved using herbal preparation, 10.2% was solved by encouraging maternal efforts, 1.7% was by manipulating the womb manually, 1.7% of the respondents were given bed rest and 22% was solved by encouraging maternal efforts and bed rest. .
All this result makes it possible for the researcher to conclude that the effect of traditional birth attendant on women is negative. Continuing efforts to examine the effect of TBAs on pregnant women may benefit in the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1Â Â Â Â Background of Study
Since the adoption of the Primary Health Care (PHC) approach in Nigeria in 1979, government has recognized the need for integrating traditional birth attendants (TBAs) into the PHC system and had consequently initiated TBAs training programmes. In spite of the high patronage of traditional birth attendants, many of their practices during childbirth have been found to adversely affect the health of mothers.
