Ramasubramanian Swaminathan, Annamalai Pandian Angel Saravana Priya, Sundararaj Ravi, Murugan Dhanapal Vidhyashree, Murugan Arun, Rajendran Tharika, Baskaran Vinitha, Balamurugan Snehanjali, Elango Subind Srinivas, Subramanian Raashidha
Epidemiology and Public Health, Government Medical College, Omandurar Government Estate, Chennai, IND.
Epidemiology and Public Health, Government Kilpauk Medical College, Chennai, IND.
Cureus. 2025 May 9;17(5):e83798. doi: 10.7759/cureus.83798. eCollection 2025 May.
Background Neonatal mortality remains a significant public health issue globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as India. Early identification of neonatal danger signs (NDSs) is vital for reducing mortality rates, yet many mothers lack the knowledge required to recognize these warning signs. This study aims to assess the knowledge of NDSs among mothers of neonates in Chennai and nearby areas. Objective To estimate the level of knowledge of NDSs among mothers in and around Chennai, and to analyze the association between maternal age, socio-economic factors, healthcare availability, and employment status with their knowledge of NDSs. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between August and December 2022, across three healthcare facilities in Chennai. Data were collected from 430 postnatal mothers using a standardized, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Participants were selected through convenience sampling. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, logistic regression, and non-parametric methods, with analysis performed in Python version 3.9 (Python Software Foundation, Wilmington, DE, USA). Results Among the 430 mothers, the average age was 26 years, with 321 (74.65%) being non-working. High awareness was observed for fever (91.86%, n = 395), diarrhea (74.88%, n = 322), and vomiting (69.53%, n = 299), while signs such as hypothermia (26.51%, n = 114) and lethargy (38.60%, n = 166) were poorly recognized. Family income was significantly associated with higher maternal knowledge of NDSs. However, maternal age, education level, employment status, antenatal visits, and spouse accompaniment did not demonstrate significant associations in the adjusted analysis. Conclusion Socio-economic status and healthcare access were significantly linked to maternal knowledge of NDSs. Despite high recognition of some danger signs, critical signs like hypothermia were poorly recognized. Tailored public health interventions focusing on economically disadvantaged groups and comprehensive health education could bridge these knowledge gaps, potentially reducing neonatal mortality in Chennai.
新生儿死亡率在全球范围内仍是一个重大的公共卫生问题，在印度等低收入和中等收入国家尤为突出。早期识别新生儿危险信号（NDSs）对于降低死亡率至关重要，但许多母亲缺乏识别这些警示信号所需的知识。本研究旨在评估金奈及周边地区新生儿母亲对NDSs的了解情况。
估计金奈及其周边地区母亲对NDSs的了解程度，并分析母亲年龄、社会经济因素、医疗可及性和就业状况与她们对NDSs的了解之间的关联。
2022年8月至12月期间，在金奈的三家医疗机构进行了一项横断面研究。使用标准化的、由访谈员实施的问卷从430名产后母亲中收集数据。参与者通过便利抽样选取。数据使用描述性统计、卡方检验、逻辑回归和非参数方法进行分析，分析在Python 3.9版本（美国特拉华州威尔明顿的Python软件基金会）中进行。
在430名母亲中，平均年龄为26岁，其中321名（74.65%）没有工作。对发热（91.86%，n = 395）、腹泻（74.88%，n = 322）和呕吐（69.53%，n = 299）的知晓率较高，而体温过低（26.51%，n = 114）和嗜睡（38.60%，n = 166）等信号的识别较差。家庭收入与母亲对NDSs的更高知晓率显著相关。然而，在调整分析中，母亲年龄、教育水平、就业状况、产前检查次数和配偶陪伴情况并未显示出显著关联。
社会经济地位和医疗可及性与母亲对NDSs的了解显著相关。尽管对一些危险信号的知晓率较高，但体温过低等关键信号的识别较差。针对经济弱势群体的定制化公共卫生干预措施和全面的健康教育可以弥补这些知识差距，有可能降低金奈的新生儿死亡率。
