Abstract:
Varied practices adopted for umbilical cord care are dependent on cultural and
religious beliefs, educational level and availability of resources. Poor umbilical
cord care practices have been linked with infections, neonatal mortality and
morbidity as a result of pathogenic entry. An assessment of current trends in
umbilical cord care will enable the institution of best practices to reduce associated
mortality and morbidity in neonates. This descriptive cross-sectional study was
conducted within four selected health facilities (TTH, TWH, TCH and RCH clinic)
within the Tamale metropolis. Mothers with infants aged 3 to 28 days seeking
postnatal care services from the study sites were eligible to enroll in the study. A
total of 358 mothers were selected using a simple random sampling technique: A
semi-structured pre-tested questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was
analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. Risk variables associated with umbilical cord
infection were analyzed using logistic regression. The mean age of the mothers was
27.2 ± 5.1 years with majority (58.1%) being within the 25-33 years age group.
10.6% of the mothers had their deliveries at home. Umbilical cord infection was
observed in 15.4% of the neonates with 49.4% having their cord separation time
within 2 to 7 days (5.8±2.6 days). Scissors (47.2%) and razor blade (26.2%) were
the most preferred cord cutting materials with methylated spirit (62.8%) and shea
butter (24.3%) being the preferred topical agents applied to the cord. Although
improved cord separation times was observed in this study, there is the need for the
Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service to review policy documents on cord care.
