Knowledge, attitude, and perception of parents of children with congenital anomalies seen at a new tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Context: Congenital anomalies (CAs) which are also known as birth defects constitute a major deficit in health indices of the world. They occur in 3%–5% of all live births and are responsible for high mortality and morbidity, especially in the infancy. Aim: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and perception of CAs by parents in our environment. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which consenting parents whose children had CAs were asked to participate by completing the semi-structured questionnaire at the end of clerking their children who presented to the pediatric surgical outpatient clinic of our hospital. The questionnaires were self-administered except for few parents who were not literate for whom an interpreter was engaged to assist them in completing the forms. Results: Sixty forms were returned completed, but seven were rejected due to poor completion representing 11.6% of the total questionnaires. The modal age at which the children presented was 0–1 month. There were 32 males and 21 females children giving a male-to-female ratio of 1.5:1. Of a total of twenty-one different CAs, Hirschsprung's disease, and spinal bifida were the most common CAs, each accounting for seven (13.2%). Twenty-two (41.5%) of respondents thought the condition could affect the development of their children, but only 20 (37.7%) could state how they would. Fifteen (28.8%) respondents believed that the defects would negatively impact the social rating and societal relevance of their children; however, 37 (37.2%) thought otherwise. Conclusion: In this study, parental concerns about the cosmetic effects and growth deficit were high. Parent's disposition on how to raise their children with these CAs points to the level of knowledge they had about them.