Maternal and Newborn-Care Practices During Pregnancy, Childbirth, And the Postnatal Period: A Comparison in Three Rural Districts in Bangladesh (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Bangladesh has shown impressive improvements in health over the past 30 years. Between 1975 and 2004, the total fertility rate fell by more than 50% from 6.3 to 3.0 (1). The rate of mortality among children aged less than five years was estimated to be 180 per 1,000 livebirths in the 1979-1983 period (2) but had fallen to 88 per 1,000 livebirths in the 1999-2003 period (1). The rate of infant mortality fell from 117 (1979-1983) (2) to 65 per 1,000 livebirths (1999-2003) (1), and the rate of neonatal mortality fell from 78 (1979-1983) (2) to 41 per 1,000 livebirths (1999-2003) (1). Furthermore, Bangladesh is unusual among developing countries because, despite the very low level of skilled attendance at delivery (3) over the past decade, the rate of maternal mortality has fallen steadily from 470 in 1991 to 310 per 100,000 livebirths in 2001 (4). On the other hand, pregnancy-related complications are still one of the leading causes of death and disability among women of childbearing age in Bangladesh (5).