Knowledge and Health Seeking Practices on Neonatal Danger Signs and Associated Factors Among the Post Natal Mothers at Pumwani Maternity Referral Hospital in Nairobi

Abstract

The majority of neonatal premature deaths are due to avoidable causes. Across the globe, babies are taken care of by their mothers, and as such, ensuring that the mothers have the necessary knowledge of the signs and symptoms of newborn illnesses is extremely important. The lack of knowledge of neonatal danger signs is regarded as a public health concern and a contributing factor to the persistently high neonatal death rate. Objective: To assess the knowledge of neonatal danger signs, its associated factors, and health-seeking practices among postnatal mothers at Pumwani Maternity Referral Hospital. Methods: This was a mixed-method cross-sectional study with qualitative and quantitative data. It included a sample of 230 postnatal mothers. Quantitative data was analyzed using R version 4.1.2. Continuous variables were summarized using medians and interquartile ranges (IQR). Frequencies and proportions were applied to summarize categorical variables. The association between independent variables and knowledge of neonatal danger signs was assessed using binary logistic regression. Significance of the results was determined at 5% significance level. Qualitative data was collected through audio recording, transcribed verbatim and analysed through thematic analysis. Results: The median age of the mothers was 26 years with an interquartile range of 22 to 30 years. Of the 230 mothers, 57% had a secondary school education, 23.4% had primary education and below, and the rest had a college education. The prevalence of sufficient knowledge of neonatal danger signs was 45.7% (95% CI 39.0%, 52.3%). Information about neonatal danger signs after deliver was significantly associated with knowledge of neonatal danger signs, adjusted odds ratio 3.83 (P <0.001, 95% CI 2.11,7.17). A total of 211 (91.7%) of the mothers said they sought care in hospitals when their babies were sick. Others bought drugs from chemists or used herbal medicine. The neonatal danger signs identified by the mothers through the qualitative arm of the study were; convulsions, difficulty in breathing, diarrhoea, yellowing of eyes and body, hotness of body, poor feeding and vomiting. Conclusion: The majority of the mothers in this study had insufficient knowledge of neonatal danger signs. The danger signs identified in the focused group discussion were; convulsions, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, and jaundice among others. The point at which health information was given was significantly associated with mothers’ knowledge of neonatal danger signs. Recommendations: There is a need for public education on neonatal danger signs among postnatal mothers. Encourage more mothers to attend antenatal clinics, and offer education on neonatal dangers signs before and after delivery. Conduct a multi-site study of the same nature to determine the experiences of mothers in other centers to allow external validity