Knowledge of the Causes and Management of Neonatal Jaundice by Primary Health Care Staff

Abstract

Summary: Knowledge of the causes and management of neonatal jaundice (NNJ) by 205 Primary Health Care (PHC) workers in Calabar were assessed, using questionnaires with open-ended responses. The newborn period was correctly defined by 54.6 percent of the respondents, Important causes of jaundice that were ziven included blood group incompatibility by 73.2 percent, infection by 40.0 percent, drugs by 21.0 percent and malaria by 18.5 percent of the respondents. Brain damage, as a serious complication of jaundice, was recognized by 49.3 percent of the respondents. Management measures mentioned by a majority of the respondents included glucose water drinks by 48,8 percent, exposure to sunlight by 43.4 percent, referral to secondary or tertiary centre by 37.1 percent and administra tion of phenobarbitone by 25.4 percent. The study further revealed that the knowl edge and attitude of most of these categories of PHC staff was generally inadequate and in some cases, risky to the patient. On the basis of the present findings, it is recommended that paediatricians should be involved in the training of PHC staff; that refresher courses should be organized from time to time for the staff to update their knowledge, and that "sunshine phototherapy cots” be introduced at the PHC level for management of mild cases of NNJ.