Traditional beliefs in the management and prevention of neonatal jaundice in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.

AIM: Traditional beliefs about neonatal jaundice persist in Sub-Saharan Africa, and because those beliefs might worsen the outcomes of the disease by delaying care or by treating it at home with unproven remedies; our study sought to identify the traditional beliefs of antenatal mothers regarding the management and prevention of neonatal jaundice in rural areas of Ekiti State, Southwestern Nigeria.

METHODS

The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. A total of 190 women who attended two primary health care centers in Ekiti State were recruited for the study from April 1 to May 31, 2017, by convenience sampling through the antenatal clinic register. Data was collected by the use of an adapted self-administered, structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

Of the women selected, 56% had at least one child before.36% of all the respondents would use pawpaw extract to treat neonatal jaundice, 30% would use sunlight, 26% would use antibiotics, 16% would use over the counter drugs, and 5% would use phototherapy. With regards of preventive measures, 48% indicated that neonatal jaundice can be prevented by breast feeding, 11% by drinking herbal concoctions by both mother and baby, 26% by giving glucose water to the baby and 12% of respondents by avoidance of cold water when pregnant.

CONCLUSION

Our study showed that traditional beliefs regarding the management and prevention of neonatal jaundice are prevalent in Ado Ekiti, Nigeria.