A Research Design Study on Traditional Beliefs and Practices on Maternal Health In West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province

12/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

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Penelitian Kerjasama PKPM Unika Atma Jaya dengan UNFPA

Peneliti : Lamtiur H. Tampubolon, Ph. D. dan Laurike Moeliono, M.A.

It is stated on page one in the third paragraph that: “According to the IDHS 2007, percentage of pregnant women receiving antenatal care from skilled providers was 95.3%, from TBAs was 0.7%, and the rest (4%) of pregnant women did not get any pregnancy check-up.” I think the percentage of pregnant women receiving antenatal care from skilled providers is quite high. The data did not show any alarming situation that needs special attention to maternal health practices. In other words, pregnant women in NTBProvince do rely on skilled providers for their antenatal care. Thus, the data says that is a very good phenomenon. Then, it is still in the same page and same paragraph, it is stated that:”… percentage of deliveries assisted by skilled providers was 64.3%, by TBAs was 33.8%, and the rest was not known. Looking at the data presented, to my opinion, 64.3% of deliveries assisted by skilled providers is not bad (more than half of deliveries). An additional risk factor that high proportion (67.3%) of the deliveries were done at home or other places, while of the rest, 25.9% were at delivered public clinics/hospitals, and 6.3%  by private service providers. This data shows that despite the apparently high level of ante-natal care and deliveries assisted by skilled providers, the majority of delivered mothers did not use health facilities as a place to deliver their babies. It should not have any problems in fact as long as it is not high risk pregnancies (skilled provider should know how to identify a high risk pregnancy during the antenatal care). This study is also going to find out why mothers prefer deliver at home and whether they are assisted by skilled provider.