Abstract
BackgroundNeonatal danger has become a substantial problem in many developing countries like Ethiopia. More specifically, neonatal rates in Ethiopia are among the highest in the world. In this regard, health-seeking behavior of mothers for neonatal care highly relies on their knowledge about neonatal danger sign, and it has been hardly investigated. Therefore, this study was intended to determine the level of mother’s knowledge about neonatal danger signs and to identify factors associated with good mother’s knowledge.MethodsCommunity-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to May 2014. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 603 mothers. A structured, pre-tested, and interview-administered questionnaire comprehending 13 neonatal danger signs was employed to collect the data. Data were entered into EPI-Info 3.5.2 and analyzed by SPSS version 16. Binary logistic regression model was used to identify associated factors. Odds ratio with 95% CI was computed to assess the strength and significant level of the association.ResultsAll mothers expected to participate in the study were interviewed. The results of the study showed that mothers who had knowledge of three or more neonatal danger signs (good knowledge) were found to be 18.2% (95% CI 15.1, 21.3%). The odds of having good knowledge was positively associated with mother’s (AOR = 3.41, 95% CI 1.37, 8.52) and father’s (AOR = 3.91, 95% CI 1.23, 12.36) higher educational achievement. Similarly, the odds of having good knowledge about neonatal danger signs was higher among Antenatal care (AOR = 2.28, 95% CI 1.05, 4.95) and Postnatal care attendant mothers (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.22, 3.54). Furthermore, access to television was also associated with mothers’ good knowledge about neonatal danger signs (AOR = 3.49, 95% CI 1.30, 9.39).ConclusionMaternal knowledge about neonatal danger signs was low. Therefore, intervention modalities that focus on increasing level of parental education, access to antenatal and postnatal care and PNC service, and advocating the use of television was pinpointed.
Highlights
Neonatal danger has become a substantial problem in many developing countries like Ethiopia
Mothers who attended antenatal care (ANC) during the last pregnancy were two times more likely to had knowledge (AOR = 2.28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05, 4.95) about neonatal danger signs as compared to their counterpart
This study presented the level and identified the contributing factors for good maternal knowledge about neonatal danger signs among mothers who gave birth in the last 6 months in Gondar town
Summary
Neonatal danger has become a substantial problem in many developing countries like Ethiopia. Neonatal rates in Ethiopia are among the highest in the world. In this regard, health-seeking behavior of mothers for neonatal care highly relies on their knowledge about neonatal danger sign, and it has been hardly investigated. Every year about four million babies die in the first 4 weeks of life. A neonatal period is only 28 days and yet The majority of this new born deaths occur at home where a few families recognize signs of newborn illness and most neonates are not taken to health facilities when they were sick [4]. In Ethiopia, 120,000 babies die every year in the first 4 weeks of life [8]. 90% of deliveries in Ethiopia took place at home with low other maternal health service coverage [10, 11]
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