Exploring the Relationship Between Antenatal Care and Postnatal Care to Newborn Outcomes in Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria

Newborn outcomes (morbidity or mortality) have been on the increase in Borno State. This study explores the relationship between antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) and newborn outcomes among women in Mafa local government area, Borno State. Also examined were the relationships between transportation and newborn outcomes, women’s knowledge of illness during pregnancy and ANC attendance, availability of staff/health workers, availability of supplies/equipment relations with ANC and PNC attendance. The three delays model was used as theoretical framework. The research will be useful for government and program-implementing partners to guide quality reproductive maternal newborn child adolescent health and nutrition program design to address increasing newborn outcomes in Borno State. A cross-sectional study of data from the village health worker (VHW) project implemented in Mafa LGA, Borno State from December 2019 through November 2020 was conducted. Coverage data including sociocultural, quality of care, accessibility to health facility to access health care services for 1,641 women aged 15-49 who participated in the VHW intervention. Logistic regression was applied to data. The study found statistically significant result between ANC and PNC with newborn outcomes (p \u3c 0.05). Women who attended ANC while pregnant were 0.030 times less likely (OR = 0.030, 95% CI [0.020, 0.046], p \u3c 0.05) to experience newborn outcomes than pregnant women who did not attend ANC. Innovative and effective ANC and PNC intervention programs, together with education/health promotion interventions and policies have the potentials to address the rising newborn outcomes for people of Borno State