Assessments of Knowledge and Attitudes of Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Towards Essential Newborn Care in Public Health Instituations Ofgondar Town
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Date
2015-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Newborn care is an effective way to meet the baby’s needs like warmth,
breast feeding and stimulation, safety, love, and protection from infection. It is estimated
that globally four million newborns die before they reach 1 month of age. The care of the
new born in the family is governed by the family’s knowledge of mother. The mother’s
knowledge and attitude play a key role to protect health and enhancing the newborns
adjustment to the new environment. ANC allows the opportunity for women, especially
those in their 1st pregnancy to receive information from a variety of health care professionals
regarding pregnancy, child birth and parenthood.
Objective: To assess knowledge and attitude of pregnant mothers attending ANC service
towards newborn care practice in all public health institutions of Gondar town, Ethiopia.
Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted in9 public health
institutions of Gondar town, Ethiopia; from January – June, 2015.Antenatal mothers are
selected through convenient sampling method. The data was collected among 380 antenatal
mothers by standardized semi structured questionnaire. Pretesting and modification had
been made before data collection.
Result: Majority 182(52.15%) of mothers at ANC were not knowledgeable on newborn
care, the mean score of knowledge were 19.08, the rest of participants 167(47.85) had
knowledge. majority (54.45%) had positive attitude, while mean maternal attitude was
166.3; According to this study mothers who had five children at most had three times more
chance to have knowledge on newborn care as compared to those who had more than five
children with odds of 3.344; 95% CI (1.010-11.073)
Conclusion and Recommendation: In general ANC attendants’ knowledge on essential
newborn care practice of public health institutions of Gondar town is poor, while they have
positive attitude. Strategic plan and implementation is needed to strength the education of
mother at ANC on components of essential new born care for North Gondar Health Burro.
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Keywords
Knowledge, Public Health