This study aims to investigate the effect of maternal education on neonatal mortality in Bangladesh using data from the nationally representative 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Both bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were used to assess the relationship between neonatal mortality and contextual factors focusing on maternal education. The prevalence of neonatal mortality was 37/1,000. The statistical analyses yielded quantitatively important and reliable estimates of neonatal death. The sequential multivariate logistic regression analyses yielded strong significant negative association between maternal education and neonatal mortality. Maternal age, religion, birth order and antenatal care seeking are also important determinants of neonatal death. Programmes should be undertaken to improve female education in Bangladesh for a better chance of satisfying important factors that can improve infant survival, such as the quality of infant feeding, household sanitation and adequate use of preventive and curative health services.
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