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Knowledge of Neonatal Danger Signs Among Mothers Attending Vaccination Centers in Central West Bank: A
Zeina Sinnokrot1, Sanaa Zeidan1, Kinda Abu Salah1
1Faculty of Medicine Al-Quds University Jerusalem Palestine.
Insights
Mothers in Palestine show limited knowledge of neonatal danger signs (NDS), with only 51% recognizing key indicators. Education and health insurance are linked to better awareness, highlighting needs for public health interventions.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Neonatal Health
- Maternal Health
Background:
- Neonatal health is crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
- Maternal health and neonatal care significantly influence infant well-being.
- Limited research exists on neonatal death determinants in Palestine's Central West Bank.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate mothers' knowledge of neonatal danger signs (NDS) in Palestine.
- To identify factors associated with mothers' awareness of NDS.
- To inform public health and educational interventions.
Main Methods:
- Community-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study.
- 377 mothers interviewed using structured questionnaires (Dec 2023 - Jan 2024).
- Data collected on socio-demographics, reproductive history, and NDS knowledge.
Main Results:
- Only 51% of mothers demonstrated good knowledge of NDS.
- Difficulty breathing and fever were most recognized; hypothermia and convulsions least recognized.
- National health insurance and husband's education correlated with higher NDS knowledge.
Conclusions:
- Mothers' knowledge of NDS in Palestine is notably low.
- Targeted educational programs are essential for improving early NDS identification.
- Maternal and infant health outcomes can be improved through increased awareness.
Background And Aims:
One core goal of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is embracing good health and well-being among all age groups including the vulnerable neonatal age group. Aside from the contribution of preconception, antenatal, and intrapartum factors, neonatal health is a harmony between the mother's health and neonatal care. In Palestine, specifically in the Central West Bank, there is a scarcity of studies investigating the determinants of neonatal deaths. Through this study, we investigated the level of mothers' knowledge and awareness in recognizing neonatal danger signs (NDS) and associated factors.
Methods:
A community-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted through convenient sampling. This study involved 377 mothers who gave birth in the last year and attended primary care centers for child vaccination in Ramallah and Jerusalem Governance from December 2023 to January 2024. This was done using structured questionnaires completed through face-to-face interviews covering socio-demographic variables, mothers' reproductive history, and NDS knowledge assessment.
Results:
Among the 377 mothers, only 51% had good knowledge, reporting at least three danger signs. The most frequently mentioned were difficulty breathing (73.2%) and fever (64.7%), while hypothermia (2.7%) and convulsions (11.7%) were the least mentioned. Statistical analysis indicated that having a national health insurance card and an educated husband are significantly associated with mothers' knowledge of NDS. These factors could potentially be important to consider in intervention and educational programs aimed at improving mothers' knowledge.
Conclusion:
This study showed that mothers' knowledge of NDS is relatively low, impacting public health in Palestine as in other developing countries. Therefore, collective efforts are needed to educate mothers on the importance of early NDS identification.
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