Knowledge, attitude and practices on the care of the newborn in postnatal mothers delivering at a tertiary care centre in Nepal

Introduction: Neonatal mortality rate per thousand live births in Nepal is 24.2, and the majority of neonates die during the early neonatal period. Objective: To determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of mothers regarding care of the newborn after delivery at a tertiary teaching hospital in Nepal. Method: A cross-sectional study employing both quantitative and qualitative study approaches was conducted in the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) unit of a tertiary hospital in East Nepal for a period of three months. Using a convenient sampling technique 65 postpartum mothers admitted in MCH unit were enrolled in the study. Structured interview questionnaires were used to collect data. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics by SPSS 20. Results: Sixty five mothers who delivered at the tertiary care centre were interviewed. Age of mothers ranged from 16 to 40 years, 63% were primipara and 18.4% were illiterate. Whilst 95% of mothers knew about immunisation, few had acquired knowledge regarding cord care, signs of illness in newborn and newborn feeding during antenatal checkups. Maternal knowledge about newborn danger signs was low. Breast feeding practice as observed by interviewer was not satisfactory. Maternal knowledge on newborn hygiene care was unsatisfactory. Conclusion: Maternal knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding care of the newborn after delivery at the tertiary teaching hospital in Nepal requires improvement.