Knowledge, attitudes, and awareness towards newborn screening in association with received prenatal care: A survey of primiparous postpartum mothers at the Philippine General Hospital

ABSTRACT

@#<p style="text-align justify;"><strong>Background.</strong> Newborn screening (NBS) is a procedure for the immediate detection of genetic, metabolic, and endocrine disorders in neonates and is crucial for prompt treatment should such disorders be identified. In the Philippines, Republic Act 9288 requires health workers to properly inform mothers regarding NBS and its importance before the procedure.</p><p style="text-align justify;"><strong>Objective.</strong> To determine the knowledge, attitude, and awareness of primiparous postpartum mothers towards NBS Methods: A survey questionnaire was administered to primiparous mothers from Wards 15 and 16 of the Philippine General Hospital from April 11 through May 14, 2017. Results of primiparous postpartum mothers with or without previous prenatal check-ups were then compared.</p><p style="text-align justify;"><strong>Results.</strong> We surveyed 160 mothers, with half (56.3%) aged between 20 and 29 years. There were 149 mothers with and 11 without prenatal checkups. Mothers with previous prenatal checkups were more likely to be aware of NBS than those without prenatal checkups. Knowledge on NBS of mothers with previous prenatal checkups was higher on average compared to those without previous prenatal checkups. There was no significant difference in attitude between mothers with or without prenatal checkups.</p><p style="text-align justify;"><strong>Conclusion.</strong> Prenatal checkups increased the awareness and knowledge of primiparous mothers' towards NBS, and thus can be a potent vehicle where healthcare providers may inform the mother on the process and purpose of this procedure.</p>