title: Newborn Care Practices among Adolescent Mothers in Hoima District, Western Uganda.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adolescent childbearing remains a major challenge to improving neonatal mortality especially in Sub Saharan countries which are still struggling with high neonatal mortality rates. We explored essential newborn care practices and associated factors among adolescent mothers in Western Uganda.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected among 410 adolescent mothers with children aged one to six months in Hoima district. Three composite variables (appropriate neonatal breastfeeding, cord care and thermal protection) were derived by combining related practices from a list of recommended newborn care practices. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors independently associated with practice of essential newborn care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Appropriate newborn feeding, optimal thermal protection and dry cord care were practiced by 60.5%, 67.2% and 31% of adolescent mothers respectively. Independent predictors' of cord care were: knowledge of cord care (AOR 5.34, 95% CI (1.51-18.84) and having delivered twins (AOR 0.04, 95% CI (0.01-0.22). The only predictor of thermal care was knowledge (AOR 25.15, 95% CI (7.01-90.20). Staying in a hospital for more than one day postpartum (AOR 2.45, 95%CI (1.23-4.86), knowledge of the correct time of breastfeeding initiation (AOR 14.71, 95% CI (5.20-41.58), predicted appropriate neonatal feeding, whereas; adolescent mothers who had had a caesarean delivery (AOR 0.19, 95% CI (I 0.04-0.96) and a male caretaker in the postnatal period (AOR 0.18, 95% CI (0.07-0.49) were less likely to practice the recommended newborn feeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sub optimal essential newborn care practice was noted especially suboptimal cord care. Adolescent mothers should be a focus of strategies to improve maternal and neonatal health.
authors.affiliation: Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Lydia
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1542-7950
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kabwijamu
authors.affiliation: Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.|Centre of Excellence for Maternal and Newborn Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.|Global Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Waiswa
authors.affiliation: Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kawooya
authors.affiliation: Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Christine K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Nalwadda
authors.affiliation: Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.|Centre of Excellence for Maternal and Newborn Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okuga
authors.affiliation: Makerere University, College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda.
authors.forename: Elizabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Nabiwemba
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014454:Uganda / Q000453:epidemiology