UNASSIGNED: Newborn care practices and beliefs vary word-wide, country to country and region to region. These care practices play a vital role in morbidity and mortality of newborn. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the newborn care practices and beliefs of newborn care.
UNASSIGNED: Data was collected from 429 post-natal mothers, who delivered in selected government hospitals of Santhal parganas, Deoghar, Jharkhand. Convenience sampling technique was used to collect the data from February 2023 to April 2023.
UNASSIGNED: Findings of the study are, 86.9% mothers accepted that they massage the baby with oil before bath, 89.3% participants have given breastfeeding within one hour of delivery, 93.7% have given prelacteal feeds to the newborn. Applying Heeng (Asafoetida) over the umbilicus was found a common practice to cure the abdominal pain, 70.8% accepted that they apply ashes or powder or cow dung on the umbilical cord, and 88.3% rub the dough on baby\'s skin to remove excess hairs, 99.3% mothers had firm belief that hot and cold foods in their diet could harm the baby. In continuation 98.8% believed that tooth eruption is associated with diarrhoea, 95.6% are applying kajal in the eyes of new born. Majority 98.8% believed that baby\'s skin should be exposed to sunlight in case of jaundice and 94% avoid dressing of new born with yellow clothes.
UNASSIGNED: Continuous Health Education programs must be organized in Community to Educate the people about beneficial and harmful newborn care practices, which will help to reduce morbidity and mortality in newborn.

BACKGROUND: The study was conducted to investigate the relationship between pregnancy-related anxiety levels of primiparae living in an ethnic region and their readiness for postnatal hygienic care of newborns.
METHODS: The study conducted between February and May 2023 included 201 \"18-40-year-old primiparae\" who lived in an ethnic region and volunteered to participate in the study. The population of the study consisted of all pregnant women who presented to the Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic, Pregnancy Outpatient Clinic of a city hospital. The \"Pregnant Women Personality and Obstetric Characteristics Form,\" \"Pregnant Women\'s Readiness for Newborn Hygienic Care Scale,\" and \"Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory\" were used as data collection tools.
RESULTS: The mean age of the 201 primiparae participating in the study was 26.11 ± 3.05 years. Although 71.1% of them felt confident about baby care before the baby was born, 95.5% needed help with baby care after birth. Their readiness for stress and newborn hygienic care was at a \"medium\" level. There was a statistically significant negative relationship between the scores they obtained from the Pregnant Women\'s Readiness for Newborn Hygienic Care Scale and Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (p = 0.011; r =  - 0.180).
CONCLUSIONS: The participating primiparae experienced moderate levels of anxiety, and the increase in their anxiety levels negatively affected their readiness for the hygienic care of their newborn babies. Thus, when primiparae are provided with healthy newborn care, their anxiety levels should.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate that successful health systems strengthening (HSS) projects have addressed disparities and inequities in maternal and perinatal care in low-income countries.
METHODS: A comprehensive literature review covered the period between 1980 and 2022, focusing on successful HSS interventions within health systems\' seven core components that improved maternal and perinatal care.
RESULTS: The findings highlight the importance of integrating quality interventions into robust health systems, as this has been shown to reduce maternal and newborn mortality. However, several challenges, including service delivery gaps, poor data use, and funding deficits, continue to hinder the delivery of quality care. To improve maternal and newborn health outcomes, a comprehensive HSS strategy is essential, which should include infrastructure enhancement, workforce skill development, access to essential medicines, and active community engagement.
CONCLUSIONS: Effective health systems, leadership, and community engagement are crucial for a comprehensive HSS approach to catalyze progress toward universal health coverage and global improvements in maternal and newborn health.

BACKGROUND: Knowing and seeking medical attention for neonatal danger signs has many benefits for reducing neonatal morbidity and death. Despite numerous interventions that have been made to raise mothers\' awareness about neonatal danger signs, the desired level of knowledge has not yet been reached in Ethiopia.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of knowledge of neonatal danger signs and associated factors among postpartum mothers in public hospitals in the Eastern Amhara region, northeastern Ethiopia.
METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in four government hospitals between January 10, 2023, and February 10, 2023.421 participants in the study were selected using a systematic random sampling technique. Face-to-face interviews, observation, and chart reviews were used to collect the data. The association was discovered through multivariate logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS: Only 36.6% (154) of mothers were knowledgeable about newborn danger signs in this study. Mothers who had higher institution status [(adjusted odds ratio) AOR = 3.355, 95% CI (1.751, 6.428)]; who were civil servants or a private employer [AOR = 2.986, 95% CI (1.822, 4.892)] and [AOR = 2.544, 95% CI (1.269, 5.138)]; and who had counseling about breastfeeding [AOR = 2.614, 95% CI (1.695, 4.029)] were positive predictors of awareness of neonatal danger signs.
CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the level of mothers\' awareness of newborn danger signs was low and required more effort. Moreover, mothers who were educated, worked as civil servants or private employers, had a family size of 4-6, and received breastfeeding counseling were linked to mothers\' good awareness of newborn danger signs. As a result, intensive community and facility-based health promotion activities on newborn danger signs should be strengthened, with special emphasis on uneducated and housewife mothers and breastfeeding counseling sessions.

UNASSIGNED: Unsafe traditional practices are performed in different societies, especially in developing countries, owing to poverty and low levels of education. Traditional practices are usually derived from the relationship between the environment and human attitudes toward nature. Some traditional practices originate from religious beliefs, cultures, or relatives advising new mothers.
UNASSIGNED: To identify the types of unsafe traditional practices, understand the factors influencing their prevalence, and explore the potential consequences of these practices on newborn health.
UNASSIGNED: This descriptive, correlational study included 200 newborns whose mothers visited primary healthcare centers in Baghdad City. This study was conducted between January 2023 and June 2023. Data were collected from mothers by answering a questionnaire during interviews. The questionnaire consisted of two main parts: sociodemographic characteristics of the mothers and their newborns and 26 questions about traditional practices used to treat health problems in newborns.
UNASSIGNED: A high percentage (84%) of Iraqi mothers used unsafe traditional practices to treat their newborns\' problems (jaundice, gastrointestinal problems, sleep problems, eye problems, respiratory problems, bathing, and daily care).
UNASSIGNED: Many Iraqi mothers prefer to use traditional practices such as herbs, oils, burning, and Sagwa to treat their newborns\' health problems. These practices can be harmful to newborns and threaten their lives. Therefore, it is recommended that mothers\' awareness of traditional practices be increased.

BACKGROUND: There is no single national guideline in Australia on the provision of postnatal care, which means there is potential for significant variation in the standard and quality of care. This review aimed to systematically identify, synthesise, and assess the quality of postnatal care guidelines produced for use in Australia. A second aim was to compare postnatal care recommendations in Australian guidelines to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence\'s (NICE) and the World Health Organization\'s (WHO) postnatal care recommendations, to identify gaps and areas of disagreement. We focussed on recommendations regarding postnatal assessment of the woman or newborn, infant feeding, discharge planning, or community-based care.
METHODS: A scoping review was undertaken informed by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews. A database search and a manual search of state and national government health departments, professional associations and research institute websites was performed to identify relevant guidelines and recommendations. Guideline quality was assessed using the AGREE II tool. Guideline recommendations from Australia were mapped to 67 NICE/WHO recommendations. Recommendations that partially agreed, were modified, or in disagreement underwent further analysis.
RESULTS: A total of 31 Australian postnatal guidelines were identified and overall, these were of moderate- to high-quality. Of the 67 NICE/WHO recommendations, most agreed with the recommendations contained in Australian guidelines. There were five NICE/WHO recommendations with which corresponding Australian recommendations disagreed. There were 12 NICE/WHO recommendations that were commonly modified within Australia\'s guidelines. There were three NICE/WHO recommendations that did not appear in any Australian guideline.
CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations from postnatal guidelines in Australia have a high level of agreement with corresponding NICE/WHO recommendations. The few disagreements and modifications found in guideline recommendations - both across Australia\'s guidelines and between Australia\'s and the NICE/WHO guidelines - are worrying and warrant further examination, as they may result in different standards of care across Australia. Identified gaps in guidance should be prioritised for inclusion in new or updated guidelines where appropriate.

BACKGROUND: Stark disparities exist in maternal and child outcomes and there is a need to provide timely and accurate health information.
OBJECTIVE: In this pilot study, we assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a health chatbot for new mothers of color.
METHODS: Rosie, a question-and-answer chatbot, was developed as a mobile app and is available to answer questions about pregnancy, parenting, and child development. From January 9, 2023, to February 9, 2023, participants were recruited using social media posts and through engagement with community organizations. Inclusion criteria included being aged ≥14 years, being a woman of color, and either being currently pregnant or having given birth within the past 6 months. Participants were randomly assigned to the Rosie treatment group (15/29, 52% received the Rosie app) or control group (14/29, 48% received a children\'s book each month) for 3 months. Those assigned to the treatment group could ask Rosie questions and receive an immediate response generated from Rosie\'s knowledgebase. Upon detection of a possible health emergency, Rosie sends emergency resources and relevant hotline information. In addition, a study staff member, who is a clinical social worker, reaches out to the participant within 24 hours to follow up. Preintervention and postintervention tests were completed to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate Rosie and describe changes across key health outcomes, including postpartum depression and the frequency of emergency room visits. These measurements were used to inform the clinical trial\'s sample size calculations.
RESULTS: Of 41 individuals who were screened and eligible, 31 (76%) enrolled and 29 (71%) were retained in the study. More than 87% (13/15) of Rosie treatment group members reported using Rosie daily (5/15, 33%) or weekly (8/15, 53%) across the 3-month study period. Most users reported that Rosie was easy to use (14/15, 93%) and provided responses quickly (13/15, 87%). The remaining issues identified included crashing of the app (8/15, 53%), and users were not satisfied with some of Rosie\'s answers (12/15, 80%). Mothers in both the Rosie treatment group and control group experienced a decline in depression scores from pretest to posttest periods, but the decline was statistically significant only among treatment group mothers (P=.008). In addition, a low proportion of treatment group infants had emergency room visits (1/11, 9%) compared with control group members (3/13, 23%). Nonetheless, no between-group differences reached statistical significance at P<.05.
CONCLUSIONS: Rosie was found to be an acceptable, feasible, and appropriate intervention for ethnic and racial minority pregnant women and mothers of infants owing to the chatbot\'s ability to provide a personalized, flexible tool to increase the timeliness and accessibility of high-quality health information to individuals during a period of elevated health risks for the mother and child.
BACKGROUND: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06053515; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06053515.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the associations between parental readiness for discharge and neonatal growth.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 549 newborns whose parents filled out the Newborn-Parental Readiness for Discharge Scale (N-PRDS).Additionally, data on birth weight, length, and head circumference were collected.The total N-PRDS scores were divided into three levels in terms of readiness: low, intermediate, and high readiness. Parents and infants were followed up 42 days after the birth, and the weight, length, and head circumference of the newborns were measured at the hospital.
RESULTS: A total of 306 data were obtained. The generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) showed that time and parental readiness had an interaction effect on the weight, length and head circumference of infants. The difference in weight between infants under the high and low readiness conditions at 42 days increased by 0.357 kg compared to the difference at birth. The difference in length between high readiness infants and low readiness infants at 42 days increased by 2.155 cm compared to the difference at birth. The difference between the infants\' head circumference under the high and low readiness conditions at 42 days was 0.873 cm higher than that at birth.
CONCLUSIONS: High readiness for discharge could promote an increase in infant weight, length,and head circumference at 42 days after birth.
CONCLUSIONS: Nurses should assess parental readiness prior to the discharge of newborns by using the N-PRDS and provide discharge guidance and education to newborns\' parents based on the outcomes of this scale.

An integrated approach is lacking for the management of childbirth and newborn care, even though their codependence is critical for improving maternal and newborn outcomes. FIGO\'s Prep-for-Labor rapid triage methods for women arriving at a clinical facility are addressed in earlier papers in this Supplement, but do not include newborn care. Immediate postpartum rapid triage using established Apgar score helps determine whether standard of care can be followed on site with available staff/tools. If not, newborn transfer alone or with the mother to a higher-level center as soon as feasible may be required. Updated newborn management tools with special emphasis on pragmatic steps that are applicable for any clinical setting including low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are presented in this article. Given that more than 80% of newborn care can be managed at the birthing facility, transfer to a higher-level center for care is required only in selected cases. Management steps for healthy newborns are described and the actions needed for those requiring resuscitation are summarized. The simple noninvasive kangaroo mother care approach-universally applicable for both term and preterm newborns-is associated with a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality. Kangaroo mother care involves continuous maternal skin-to skin contact from birth, exclusive breastfeeding, and home support after discharge. Hence, hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and acquired infections are frequently prevented. It is anticipated that implementing simple noninvasive management steps will have a substantial positive impact on improving maternal and newborn outcomes.

Low birth weight (LBW) is associated with short and long-term consequences including neonatal mortality and disability. Effective linkages in the continuum of care (CoC) for newborns at the health facility, community (primary care) and home care levels have a high tendency of minimizing adverse events associated with LBW. But it is unclear how these linkages work and what factors influence the CoC process in Ghana as literature is scarce on the views of health professionals and families of LBW infants regarding the CoC. Therefore, this study elicited the drivers influencing the CoC for LBW infants in Ghana and how linkages in the CoC could be strengthened to optimize quality of care.
A constructivist grounded theory study design was used. Data was collected between September 2020 to February 2021. A total of 25 interviews were conducted with 11 family members of LBW infants born in a secondary referral hospital in Ghana, 9 healthcare professionals and 7 healthcare managers. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim, analyzed using initial and focused coding. Constant comparative techniques, theoretical memos, and diagramming were employed until theoretical saturation was determined.
Emerging from the analysis was a theoretical model describing ten major themes along the care continuum for LBW infants, broadly categorized into health systems and family-systems drivers. In this paper, we focused on the former. Discharge, review, and referral systems were neither well-structured nor properly coordinated. Efficient dissemination and implementation of guidelines and supportive supervision contributed to higher staff motivation while insufficient investments and coordination of care activities limited training opportunities and human resource. A smooth transition between care levels is hampered by procedural, administrative, logistics, infrastructural and socio-economic barriers.
A coordinated care process established on effective communication across different care levels, referral planning, staff supervision, decreased staff shuffling, routine in-service training, staff motivation and institutional commitment are necessary to achieve an effective care continuum for LBW infants and their families.