INFANT HEALTH CARE

PRACTICES IN PAKISTAN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

In Pakistan 1 in every 14 infants die before reaching one year of age. Infant mortality
highly depends upon the health care practices by the caretakers. Objective: To investigate the
infant risky health care practices and their impact on infants’ health in Pakistan. Study Design:
Descriptive systematic literature review. Setting and Period: All the research articles that was
published in between 2000 to 2015. Methods: Focusing on newborn health care practices with
special reference to mothers utilization of antennal and postnatal care, pre-lacteal feedings,
colostrum, breastfeeding, cord care practices and complementary feeding. A systematic search
of national and international literature especially from developing countries was undertaken
from peer-reviewed indexed journals and news articles from 2000-2015 to access the infant
health care practices. Results: sixty five articles were included in this review article. All the
studies focused on the determinants of infant health care practices. It was found that mother’s
prenatal and postnatal care utilization service was poor. It was further investigated that colstrum
is not preferred first feed of the mothers and family members to their infants. Mostly mothers
gave the pre-lacteal feeding to their children irrespective to their education and social status
and it cause the delayed in initiating the breastfeeding to the neonates. Only a small proportion
of the mothers initiate the breastfeeding with in the first hour of birth and mothers are unaware
about the importance of breastfeeding. Furthermore, the mothers are also unaware about cord
care and use conventional methods for cord care. Conclusion: It was investigated that infant
health care practices is highly influenced by the culture and religious belifs of the caretakers.
Due to the lack of proper health care of infants, Pakistan is facing high infant mortality rate
and substandard infant health indicators. It is suggested that government and policy makers
should arrange the trainings/ workshops for the mothers and adolescents for the purpose to
discourage the risky health care practices.