Abstract

Background: Neonatal mortality and morbidity are the greatest challenges in the current health care scenario. Majority of newborns die because mothers fail to identify danger signs of illness, and inappropriate/delayed care seeking. The most common identified newborn danger signs are fever, lethargy, inability to feed, low temperature, fast breathing, persistent vomiting, convulsions, pus draining/bleeding from umbilical area, lack of consciousness, yellow palm/sole/eye and eye discharge/redness. Objective was to assess the awareness level and factors associated towards neonatal danger sign among mothers who attend public health institutions of Mekelle City, Tigray, Ethiopia, 2015.
Method: A cross sectional study design was conducted from December 2014 to June 2015 among mothers who attend public health institutions of Mekelle city, Simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. The data were collected using interviewer administered structured questionnaire. Pre-test was done on 5% of the sample two weeks before the actual data collection period at Qui ha health center based on the result of the pre-test necessary corrections were made to the questionnaire. After the data was collected it was entered, cleaned and analyzed using SPSS version 20 statistical software. Descriptive statistics were employed. Binary logistic regression was used to see the association between the dependent and various independent variables. Finally, data are presented using text, tables and graphs.
Result: This study found that half (50.6%) of mothers had an awareness of at least three neonatal danger signs. Fever, persistent vomiting and poor sucking was the three most commonly reported neonatal danger signs. To the reverse, umbilical redness, eye discharge, yellow palms/soles/eyes were found to be the least known neonatal danger signs which was reported by less than 5% of the study subjects. Birth preparedness by, at least in two ways [AOR=2.5; 95% CI (1.35, 4.66)] and post-natal care and advice [AOR=3.4; 95% CI (2.01, 5.77)] were the independent variables that show significant association with awareness of mothers toward neonatal danger signs in this study.
Conclusion and recommendations: Majority of mothers had low awareness of the majority of neonatal danger signs. Strengthening educational programs at a health facility or community level is highly recommended.

Keywords: Neonate; Danger signs; Awareness