Care seeking behaviour and expressed experiences of mother and caregivers regarding newborn danger sign.

INTRODUCTION

Early identification and management of newborn danger signs (NDS) are vital to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality. Caregivers' awareness, experiences, and care-seeking behaviours influence outcomes.

OBJECTIVES

To explore care-seeking behaviours and expressed experiences of mothers and caregivers regarding newborn danger signs experienced during the neonatal period by their infants.

METHODS

A descriptive exploratory study (Dec 2024-Jan 2025) at two private hospitals and data collected through in-depth interviews with 14 mothers and 10 caregivers of infants <6 months who had experienced one or more NDS during the neonatal period (0-28 days). Thematic analysis used NVivo 15; descriptive statistics summarized demographics.

RESULTS

The themes emerged were (1) Newborn danger signs identified (as recalled by the study subjects) : most commonly recognized were fever, jaundice, feeding difficulties, excessive crying, though awareness levels varied; (2) Recognising newborn danger signs: by observation of behavioural changes and examination; (3) Expressed experiences: captured the significant emotional strain (fear, anxiety, guilt) and the emotional endurance (resilience, relief) experienced; (4) Care seeking behaviour, which ranged from prompt health action to healthcare avoidance, often in favour of initial home management with traditional remedies and (5) Hindrance to healthcare utilisation, identified barriers such as reliance on wait and watch approach, geographical challenges, and reluctance to seek follow-up care.

CONCLUSION

Although many mothers and caregivers can recognize common newborn danger signs from their past experience, traditional practices and limited health literacy often delay professional care-seeking. Nurse-led health education interventions promoting early recognition, timely medical consultation, and awareness regarding follow-up care are essential to improve neonatal outcomes.