Traditional birth attendants lack basic information on HIV and safe delivery practices in rural Mysore, India

Madhivanan, Purnima; Kumar, Bhavana N; Adamson, Paul; Krupp, Karl

doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-570

BMC Public Health

Table 1 Birthing practices of traditional birth attendants in Mysore Taluk, India (N = 417)

From: Traditional birth attendants lack basic information on HIV and safe delivery practices in rural Mysore, India

Characteristic	Total
	N	(%)
Would you consider this a high-risk pregnancy
Age <17 & >35 yrs	210	50.4
First pregnancy or >5 times pregnant	163	39.1
Past h/o spontaneous abortion	208	49.9
Past h/o blood pressure	245	58.8
Past h/o caesarian section	267	64.0
Past h/o postpartum hemorrhage	178	42.7
Stillbirth during last delivery	228	54.7
Abnormal presentation of fetus	288	69.1
Mother's height <1.45 m	171	41.0
Fetus stops moving or unable to hear the baby	288	69.1
Twins	228	54.7
Do you advise any of the following treatments
Special food and diet	282	67.6
Enema	13	3.1
Exercise	182	43.6
Massage with oil on stomach	255	61.2
Special posture to sit	372	89.2
Special posture to sleep	354	84.9
Medicines	78	18.7
Pushing out the abdomen during the pain	191	45.8
When do you advise your clients to get you when they are ready to deliver
Breaking of bag of waters	23	5.5
Fast painful contractions	404	96.9
Head is coming out	10	2.4
What is the most common posture for delivering a woman in labor
Seated	105	25.2
Squatting	140	33.6
Laying down	228	54.7
Kneeling	43	10.3
What would you do if there is excessive bleeding before delivery
Refer to medical center	254	60.9
Do nothing, will have normal delivery	6	1.44
Don't know	19	4.56
What would you do if there is excessive bleeding after delivery
Wait until 'bad blood' has passed	414	99.3
Refer to medical center	53	12.7
What would you do: After the baby is delivered, the placenta becomes stuck inside the woman or it does not come out right away
Massage the uterus	134	32.1
Manually clear the placenta by hand	50	11.9
Induce vomiting by stuffing hair into mouth in order to expel placenta	65	15.6
Induce vomiting by sticking hand into mouth in order to expel placenta	18	4.3
Drink castor oil	1	0.2
Refer to medical center	47	11.2
Don't know	11	2.6
What would you do if:
Umbilical cord comes out of the woman before the baby
Deliver baby normally	15	3.6
Manually push the cord back inside the woman	54	12.9
Rotate the baby's position inside the mother	11	2.6
Refer to medical center	158	37.9
Don't know	156	37.4
Refuse to answer	15	3.6
Umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby's head
Leave the cord until the baby is delivered	104	24.9
Loosen the cord around the baby's neck	239	57.3
Tie and cut the cord after the shoulders come through the pelvis	15	3.6
Refer to medical center	19	4.6
Don't know	15	3.6
Refuse to answer	3	0.72
Baby is stuck inside the mother
Change the position of the mother	13	3.1
Refer to the medical center	292	70.0
Don't know	12	2.88
Refused to answer	5	1.2
Baby comes out the wrong way
Deliver the baby normally	123	29.5
Refer to medical center	237	56.8
Don't know	39	9.35
Refuse to answer	3	0.72
Mother gets a fever, feels dizzy or becomes pale
Give mother water to drink	92	22.1
Refer to medical center	194	46.5
Don't know	38	9.1
Refuse to answer	1	0.24
There are cuts and tears in the woman's vaginal wall after birth
Wash with soap and water	93	22.3
Apply turmeric with oil	11	2.6
Don't know	133	31.9
Refused to answer	9	2.2
A newborn does not cry
Blow in the baby's ear	115	27.6
Splash baby with cold water	126	32.2
Massage baby's back, feet or hands	108	25.9
Hold baby with legs upward	65	15.6
Flick the baby's hands or feet	82	19.7
Refer to medical center	22	5.3

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ISSN: 1471-2458

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