Evaluation of the Impact of Maternal Training on Knowledge of Danger Signs in Sick Newborns and Health Seeking Behaviors Among Mothers in Enugu, South-east Nigeria- a Pre-and-post Interventional Study

Background: During the early weeks of life, the signs/symptoms of serious illness can be subtle, thus careful watching is crucial. The World health Organization has recognized nine “danger sign” which are closely associated with morbidity and mortality when not recognized early and given adequate care. This project was undertaken to assess mothers’ knowledge of these danger signs and health seeking behavior before and after training on newborn danger signs.Methodology: This community-based interventional study was carried amongst women in two rural communities of Enugu State. Participant’s knowledge of danger signs and care seeking behaviors were obtained using an interviewer administered questionnaire before and after training on the danger signs newborns using videos from the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI). Pre- and post-training data were collated for analysis and comparison using SPSS version 20.Results: A total of 197 women were enrolled for the study. Among the socio-demographic indices examined, only the number of newborns nursed in the past significantly determined knowledge of danger signs in the sick newborn (P=0.032). Prior to the training, 47% of respondents could not recount offhand any danger sign compared to 1.5% after the training (P=0.001). Knowledge of up to 3 danger signs significantly increased after the training (P = 0.001) and participants who admitted seeking medical help within 24 hours of noticing any danger signs in newborn also significantly increased, (P= 0.043).Conclusion: Our study documented a strong impact of training of mothers on their knowledge of danger signs in the sick newborns and on their healthcare seeking behavior. Therefore, training and retraining of mothers and/or care givers could help improve newborn care and reduce overall infant mortality