P OSTNATAL C ARE AND P RACTICES

A large proportion of maternal and neonatal deaths occur during the first 48 hours after delivery.

Safe motherhood programs have recently increased their emphasis on the importance of postnatal care, recommending that all women receive a health checkup within two days of delivery. To assess the extent of postnatal care utilization, respondents who had given birth in the five years preceding the survey were asked whether they had received a health check after the delivery of their last birth. Table 13.7.1 shows the timing of the first postnatal checkup for women giving birth in the past two years.

Table 13.7.1 Timing of first postnatal checkup

Among women age 15-49 giving birth in the two years preceding the survey, the percent distribution of the mother’s first postnatal checkup for the last live birth by time after delivery, and the percentage of women with a live birth in the two years preceding the survey who received a postnatal checkup in the first two days after giving birth, according to background characteristics, Cambodia 2014

Time after delivery of mother’s first postnatal checkup

No postnatal

characteristic Less than 4

hours 4-23 hours 1-2 days 3-41 days Don’t know/ Note: Total includes 1 birth for which place of delivery is missing.

1 Includes women who received a checkup after 41 days

Ninety percent of mothers received postnatal care within the crucial first two days of delivery, with 76 percent receiving care within four hours of delivery. Only 9 percent of mothers received no postnatal care.

Urban women were more likely to receive postnatal care (98 percent) than rural women (89 percent) during the first two days after delivery. Women with a secondary education or higher (94 percent) were more likely to receive postnatal care within two days of delivery than women with either no

146 • Maternal Health

schooling (80 percent) or only a primary school education (90 percent). Only 57 percent of women who did not deliver in a health facility received a postnatal checkup.

Table 13.7.2 presents information on the provider of postnatal care for women who delivered in the two years preceding the survey. Eighty-seven percent of women received postnatal care from a health professional (midwife, doctor, or nurse), and only 3 percent received postnatal care from traditional birth attendants. Women in urban areas (98 percent) were more likely than those in rural areas (85 percent) to receive postnatal care from a health professional. Similarly, mothers with a secondary education or higher (93 percent) were much more likely to receive postnatal care from a trained health professional than women with either no schooling (71 percent) or only a primary school education (86 percent).

Table 13.7.2 Type of provider of first postnatal checkup for the mother

Among women age 15-49 giving birth in the two years preceding the survey, the percent distribution by type of provider of the mother’s first postnatal health check in the two days after the last live birth, according to background characteristics, Cambodia 2014

Type of health provider of mother’s first postnatal checkup No postnatal checkup in

1 Includes women who received a checkup after 41 days

Table 13.8.1 shows the timing of the first postnatal checkup for newborns born in the past two years. Seventy-seven percent of newborns received postnatal care within the crucial first two days of delivery, with 68 percent receiving care within four hours of delivery. About 21 percent of newborns received no postnatal care.

Postnatal care for newborns was more likely to be provided in urban areas (84 percent) than in rural areas (78 percent) during the first two days after delivery. Newborns whose mothers had a secondary education or higher (84 percent) were more likely to receive postnatal care within two days of delivery than those whose mothers had either no schooling (69 percent) or only a primary school education (78 percent). Only 52 percent of babies who were not delivered in a health facility received a postnatal checkup.

Table 13.8.1 Timing of first postnatal checkup for the newborn

Percent distribution of last births in the two years preceding the survey by time after birth of first postnatal checkup, and the percentage of births with a postnatal checkup in the first two days after birth, according to background characteristics, Cambodia 2014

Time after birth of newborn’s first postnatal checkup

No postnatal Battambang/Pailin 43.0 33.8 12.9 0.8 0.0 2.2 7.3 100.0 90.5 247 Kampot/Kep 10.8 70.7 6.4 1.9 0.0 0.6 9.5 100.0 90.5 116 Note: Total includes 1 case for which information on place of delivery is missing.

1 Includes newborns who received a checkup after the first week

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Table 13.8.2 presents information on the provider of postnatal care for newborns who were delivered in the two years preceding the survey. Nearly all newborns receiving postnatal care received it from a health professional (midwife, doctor, or nurse), and only 3 percent received postnatal care from traditional birth attendants. Postnatal care was more likely to be provided by a health professional in urban areas (84 percent) than in rural areas (75 percent). Similarly, babies whose mothers had a secondary education or higher (83 percent) were much more likely to receive postnatal care from a trained health professional than babies whose mothers had either no schooling (60 percent) or only a primary school education (74 percent).

Table 13.8.2 Type of provider of first postnatal checkup for the newborn

Percent distribution of last births in the two years preceding the survey by type of provider of the newborn’s first postnatal health check during the two days after the last live birth, according to background characteristics, Cambodia 2014

Type of health provider of newborn’s first postnatal checkup Note: Total includes 1 case for which information on place of delivery is missing.