Perception and practice of rest during pregnancy among mothers and family decision-makers

The incidence of low birthweight (LBW) in Bangladesh is one of the highest in the world.(1) Inadequate rest of the mothers during pregnancy is a contr ibuting factor to LBW. To assess the perception and practice of rest during pregnancy, 136 mothers and family members who make important decisions on family matter (FDM) were studied in rural Bangladesh. Eighty per cent of mo thers perceived the importance of rest during pregnancy, whereas only 29 pe r cent practised rest (p < 0.003), Of the mothers who lacked perception, no ne practised, Eighty-five per cent of FDM perceived rest as important, yet only 27 per cent practised rest. Mothers' education and socioeconomic statu s were significantly associated with perception (p < 0.028,p < 0.001) and p ractice (p < 0.008,p < 0.006) of rest. The mother's education was also sign ificantly (p < 0.000) associated with the socioeconomic status of the famil y. Our study suggests that the inability to take rest was due to workload a t home, illiteracy, low socioeconomic status and failure of family members to share the workload.