Prevalence, Associated Factors and Management of Neonatal Jaundice by Midwives and Nurses of Selected Health Facilities in Fako Division, Cameroon

Abstract

Background Neonatal jaundice is a problem commonly faced by neonates and it is responsible for hospital readmissions worldwide. Aim To determine the prevalence, associated factors, and management of neonatal jaundice by midwives and nurses. Methods A hospital-based cross-sectional and retrospective study was conducted. Copies of a well-structured questionnaire were administered to participants in the maternity and neonatal units of Buea and Limbe Regional Hospitals and the Baptist Hospital Mutengene. The files (230) of neonates admitted in these hospitals from January 2019 to March 2022 were studied and data collected using an extraction sheet. Fifty (50) midwives and nurses who had worked for more than six-months participated in the study. A purposive sampling method was used to select the health facilities while the participants were enrolled using a consecutive convenient sampling technique. Respondents who met the inclusion criteria and gave their consent to participate in the study were included. The study received administrative authorization from the Department of Nursing Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea and the Regional Delegation of Public Health South West Region. Data collected were entered using a pre-designed EpiData version 28.0 and analyzed. Results The prevalence of neonatal jaundice was 15.2%; 65.7% of the jaundiced neonates were preterm babies, 51.4% of the cases were noticed within the first-week of life, 91.4% had Apgar scores of <6 and 85.7% had low birth weight. The majority of them (68.6%) were resuscitated at birth and more than half were preterm babies. Maternal fever, prolonged labor, premature rupture of the membranes was significantly associated with neonatal jaundice. Half (50%) of the participants reported that they would collect samples for bilirubin only if the baby was still yellow and 82% said it is important to give fluids during phototherapy because it helps keep the baby hydrated. Conclusion The prevalence of neonatal jaundice is a cause for concern. Therefore, midwives and nurses are call upon to educate pregnant women on the predisposing factors and should acquire competencies in order to properly manage babies upon diagnosis.