LAUSR

Abstract Background Delaying newborn bathing for 24 h after childbirth protects the baby from hypothermia, infection and hypoglycaemia and provides an opportunity for mother–baby emotional bonding. However, no previously published study has investigated the early newborn bathing practices of pastoral mothers in Ethiopia. This study aims to investigate early newborn bathing and associated factors among mothers in Afar Region, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May to June 2021. A systematic random sampling technique was used to recruit 386 mothers, and the data collection was performed using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression modelling was used to examine the association between explanatory variables (including sociodemographic, obstetric, health service and health literacy factors) and early newborn bathing. Results The overall prevalence of early newborn bathing among postpartum mothers was 73.1% with a 95% confidence interval (CI) from 68.4 to 77.5%. Mothers who attained college or higher education [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.21; 95% CI 0.06–0.66], those who were from urban areas (AOR = 0.19; 95% CI 0.09–0.42) and those who gave birth using operational delivery (e.g. caesarean section and instrumental delivery) (AOR = 0.01; 95% CI 0.01–0.04) were less likely to practice early newborn bathing. Conclusion The practice of early newborn bathing was unacceptably high in pastoral communities of the Afar Region. There is a need for interventions specifically targeting at uneducated and rural mothers as part of the implementation to improve the essential newborn care practices of mothers in pastoral communities in Ethiopia.