Objectives

To examine the association of sociodemographic, antenatal and delivery care factors with the essential newborn care (ENC) practices of neonates born at home in Bangladesh.

Study design

This study analyzed data of a cross-sectional survey—the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2011.

Methods

This analysis considered 3190 most recent live-born infants who were delivered at home within three years of the survey. Logistic regression models were used to identify the factors affecting the implementation of six ENC practices, namely using disinfected instruments to cut the umbilical cord, avoidance of application of any substances to the umbilical cord stump, immediate drying and wrapping of newborns, delayed bathing of newborns, and immediate initiation of breastfeeding.

Results

Factors affecting ENC practices in Bangladesh are low parental education, low utilization of antenatal care services, the absence of skilled birth attendants, smaller size at birth, higher birth order and mother's age at birth. Regional factors also seem to considerably affect ENC practices.

Conclusion

There is ample scope to improve the coverage of ENC practices in Bangladesh. Health promotion programmes that target parents with low education and older mothers may help to build awareness of ENC practices. This investigation provides insight into the key determinants of ENC practices, which require consideration when scaling up ENC practices in low-income and lower middle–income countries.