Matthews Katepa
Background: Unattended home delivery is when the pregnant woman is unassisted or only attended by a lay person, perhaps their spouse, family, friend, or a non-professional birth attendant, sometimes also called free-births. The prevalence of home deliveries shows regional variations with South East Asia showing values reaching as high as 65%; Europe less than 2% and Africa with estimates reaching as high as 62% in some areas. In sub-Saharan Africa, statistics on deliveries that occurred at home showed prevalence rates of 19% in Namibia, 43%in Malawi, 52% in Zambia and 53% in Tanzania. At the provincial level, 68.4%of the deliveries in Northern Province occurred at home followed by Central Province and Luapula Province at 66.1 percent and 64.3 percent respectively. Home deliveries in developing countries that are largely unplanned, accidental and unhygienic have contributed to ninety-nine percent of maternal deaths occurring worldwide. Births occurring outside the health facility in Zambia are more likely to have pregnancy complications that may result in maternal and fetal deaths due to lack of skilled attendance. Socioeconomic variables and physical distance from a health facility influence the place of delivery. Sunkutu village is one of the rural areas in Kasama District with high maternal morbidity and mortality. No particular study has been done in the area on prevalence and risk factors of home deliveries hence this study. Objectives: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of unattended home births in Sunkutu village of Kasama District. Methods: An analytical cross sectional study was employed aimed at determining the prevalence and risk factors of unattended home births in Sunkutu Village of Kasama District. The target population will comprise women of child bearing age (15-49 years).
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