Knowledge and Perception of Umbilical Cord Care Among Nursing Mothers Attending Three Selected Primary Healthcare Centres in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Abstract:

Umbilical Cord Care (UCC) practices are essential to prevent the newborn from the risk of infections. It has been discovered that nursing mothers are not practicing UCC effectively due to a lack of adequate knowledge and poor perception. Therefore, this study assessed the level of knowledge and perception of mothers on UCC in selected Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. A non-experimental cross-sectional survey design was used. A self-structured and validated Questionnaire with Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient reliability of 0.76 was administered to 240 women, aged 16-49, in three randomly selected PHCs. Findings shows 82% had high knowledge and 42.3% had poor perception of UCC. Also, there was a significant relationship between marital status and knowledge of UCC (p<005). The study shows high level of knowledge of UCC among nursing mothers in selected PHCs in Ibadan, Oyo State. Hence, UCC awareness should be intensified among women and their significant others.