The Practice of Sanitary and Safe Vaginal Delivery by TBAs in Central Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Aim: This study examine the practice and sanitary condition maintained by TBAs when taking vaginal deliveries in Bayelsa state central using cross sectional descriptive random sampling method to select a total of 70 respondents and the required parameters with the aid of structured questionnaires. The respondents were randomly selected from Igbogene, yenegwe, Etegwe in yenagoa LGA and Angiama, Angiama-gbene, Aguobiri, Oporoma in southern ijaw LGA of Bayelsa state.

Results: Findings from this study showed that respondents within 43yrs and above were 38.57% with 31-37yrs making 22.86% compared with age 37-42 (15.71%), 19-24yrs (12.86%) while 25-30yrs (10%) in the study population. Their educational status was mostly informal (38.57%) and primary (28.57%) followed by secondary (20%) and tertiary education that falls between 7-9yrs and above 10yrs (35.71%) and (42.86%) compared with 1-3yrs and 4-6yrs of 7.14% and 14.29% respectively. The number of deliveries carried out by the TBAs shows that 80% of babies delivered survived compared with 20% death during and after labor. About 87.14% of respondents wear sanitary gloves when compared with 12.86% that do not when taking delivery. The study further reveal the use of pawpaw roots and other methods to stimulate contraction during labor while 71.43% agree to referral of difficult cases. The application of spoon deeply into the respondent’s oral cavity to stimulate physiologic uterine contraction was the most adopted method to deliver the placenta.

Conclusion: The sanitary condition of TBAs centres labor room was observed to be regularly (80%) maintained with the use of antiseptics while 81.43% of their surrounding environment was being cared for regularly as well. We hereby recommend that more strategic training methods for TBAs be adopted by the government to acquire more skills that will enhance their proficiency in delivery safe babies without transmission of infections that may manifest after birth.