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BackgroundThe estimated annual global perinatal and neonatal death is four million. Stillbirths are almost equivalent to neonatal mortality, yet they have not received the same attention. Antenatal care is generally thought to be an effective method of improving pregnancy outcomes, but its effectiveness as a means of reducing perinatal mortality has not been evaluated in Ethiopia. Therefore, we will identify the pooled effect of antenatal care on perinatal outcomes in Ethiopia.MethodsMedline, Embase, Cinahl, African journal online and Google Scholar was searched for articles published in English language between January 1990 and May 2020. Two independent assessors selected studies and extracted data from eligible articles. The Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-Randomized Studies was used to assess the quality of each included study. Data analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed using I2 test statistical significance and Egger's test for small-study effects respectively. The random effect model was employed, and forest plot was used to present the risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsThirteen out of seventeen included studies revealed antenatal care utilization had a significant association with perinatal outcomes. The pooled risk ratio by the random-effects model for perinatal death was 0.42 (95% CI: 0.34, 0.52); stillbirth 0.34 (95% CI: 0.25, 0.46); early neonatal death 0.85 (95% CI: 0.21. 3.49).ConclusionWomen who attended at least one antenatal care visit were more likely to give birth to an alive neonate that survives compared to their counterpart. Therefore, the Ethiopian Ministry of health and other stakeholders should design tailored interventions to increase antenatal care utilization since it has been shown to reduce perinatal mortality.

IntroductionThe World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund jointly recommend colostrum feeding immediately following delivery of the newborn. Colostrum avoidance is the practice of discarding colostrum at least once within the first three days after delivery of the newborn. Colostrum contains antibodies that protect the newborn against disease. Despite this fact, many Ethiopian mothers see colostrum feeding as a cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, and they believe colostrum should be discarded to alleviate its effects. However, the cause of this misconception about colostrum is not well researched in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area.ObjectiveTo assess the prevalence of colostrum avoidance and associated factors among mothers of children aged less than six months in Bure district, Amhara Region, North West, Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1st to 30th, 2019 in Bure district. Structured questionnaires and face to face interviews were used to collect data from 621 study participants. Multistage sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were entered into Epi Data version 4.2.0 and then exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 23. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors of colostrum avoidance practice.ResultsSix hundred twenty-one (621) mothers of children aged less than six months participated. The prevalence of colostrum avoidance was 14.5% (95%CI; 11.5-17.4). The multivariate analysis indicated that home delivery [AOR = 3.350, (95%CI; 2.517-14.847)], giving birth through cesarean section [AOR = 3.368, (95%CI; 1.339-8.471)], no participation in an antenatal care group [AOR = 1.889, (95%CI; 1.144-3.533)], poor knowledge of mothers about colostrum [AOR = 3.44, (95%CI; 2.45-4.977)], and poor attitude of mothers towards colostrum [AOR = 3.053, (95%CI; 1.157-8.054)] were important predictors of colostrum avoidance practice.Conclusion and recommendationsHome delivery, giving birth through cesarean section, no participation in an antenatal care group, poor knowledge of mothers about colostrum, and poor attitude of mothers towards colostrum were significantly associated with colostrum avoidance practice. Therefore, health care workers in the district should promote institutional delivery, reduce the magnitude of cesarean section, encourage pregnant mothers to participate in an antenatal care group, and enhance maternal awareness about the merits of colostrum feeding. Moreover, health educations for mothers to have a positive attitude towards colostrum are important recommendations to be taken to prevent the further practice of colostrum avoidance.