Assess the Knowledge and Attitude on Neonatal Danger Signs among the Mothers in Selected Hospitals of Kamrup (M), Assam

Abstract

Background of the study: Birth of a baby brings new joy into the family. The neonatal period is the most vital because it is a high risk time to develop various health problem related to genetic and environmental causes. So a mother and a health care provider must know what the danger signs are for a baby which may cause serious health problems. Methodology: A descriptive correlational research design was used to assess the knowledge and attitude on neonatal danger signs among the mothers. 143 mothers were selected by non-probability purposive sampling technique. Structured knowledge questionnaire and 3 point Likert scale was developed to gather data and analysis was done by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The results shows that majority i.e. 114(80%) of the mothers have moderately adequate knowledge followed by 20(14%) have inadequate knowledge and 9(6%) have adequate knowledge with mean score= 17.51 and SD= 1.74. It also shows that majority i.e. 100(70%) of the mothers have neutral attitude followed by 25(17%) have positive attitude and 18(13%) have negative attitude with mean score=43.20 and SD= 4.04.The correlation between knowledge and attitude on neonatal danger signs among the mothers is moderately positive correlation i.e. r=0.344, p value= 0.001 at 0.05 level of significance and found to be statistically significant. The result shows that the demographic performa such as educational status (?2=11.09, p-value=0.025) and area of residence (?2=13.26, p-value=0.001) are statistically significant with knowledge however other demographic performa such as age, religion, occupation of mother, type of family, parity and number of children were found not-significant. The results show that educational status (?2=19.17, p-value=0.001) is statistically significant with attitude and other demographic variables such as age, religion, occupation of mother, area of residence, type of family, parity and number of children were found not-significant. Conclusion: Keeping in view the finding of the study, the researcher felt that the problem is more serious than we think and neonates are the mostly affected. It is our parents, people and health care workers responsibility to make aware the mothers about the neonatal danger signs through conducting campaign, programme and health education to the mothers.

Introduction

Becoming a parent to a newborn is a joyful experience, but neonates are highly vulnerable, with many deaths occurring within the first month of life—40% of under-five deaths happen during this period, often due to late recognition of illness and delayed care. In India, states like Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, and others report high neonatal mortality rates, with causes including sepsis and asphyxia.

Mothers’ awareness of neonatal danger signs is crucial for early detection and timely treatment to reduce preventable deaths. This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitude of mothers regarding neonatal danger signs in selected hospitals in Kamrup (M), Assam.

Using a quantitative, descriptive correlational design, the study surveyed 143 mothers from three private hospitals. Data were collected via structured questionnaires and Likert scales, with the goal to understand the correlation between mothers’ knowledge and attitudes and how these relate to demographic factors. The research findings will help improve mothers’ awareness, ultimately reducing neonatal mortality and improving survival chances.

Conclusion

From findings of the study it can be concluded that majority 114(80%) of the mothers have moderately adequate knowledge followed by 9(6%) have adequate knowledge and 20(14%) have inadequate knowledge and majority 100(70%) of the mothers have neutral attitude followed by 25(17%) have positive attitude and 18(13%) have negative attitude. The correlation between knowledge and attitude of mothers on neonatal danger signs which indicates there is a moderately positive correlation r=0.344, p value= 0.001 at 0.05 level of significance between knowledge and attitude on neonatal danger signs and found to be statistically significant. Results show that educational status and area of residence having statistically significant with knowledge on neonatal danger signs among the mothers and it also shows that educational status having statistically significant with attitude on neonatal danger signs among the mothers. In spite of the extensive coverage of maternal and child health services, the knowledge and attitude of the neonatal danger signs are moderate among the mothers. It is responsibility of Healthcare workers to make mothers aware of neonatal danger signs during their antenatal visit and explained about the importance of timely seeking medical care, which will impact on the survival rates of neonates and decrease the neonatal mortality rate.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Ms. Yangtan Rema Namsa, Mrs. Dropati Thapa, Ms. B. Snienky Siangshai. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.