Universal Neonatal Hearing Screening: Awareness and Attitude of Mothers Attending the Ante Natal Clinic in a Tertiary Health Facility in Benin City, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Hearing loss in the neonatal period can lead to delays in speech acquisition as well as the overall development of a child. Maternal awareness is crucial to the early detection and prompt intervention especially in resource-limited countries like Nigeria where superstitious beliefs often prevent uptake of life-saving services.

Objective: To determine the level of awareness and attitude towards the universal neonatal hearing screening by mothers attending antenatal clinic in Benin City.

Methodology: A structured questionnaire was administered to establish the awareness and attitude of expectant mothers towards newborn hearing screening (NHS) at the antenatal clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

Results: The mean age of the 204 respondents was 29.7±5 years. Only a small proportion 46(22.5%) were aware of neonatal hearing screening but majority (156 or 76%) were willing to pay out-of-pocket to have their newborn babies screened for hearing loss.

Conclusion: The positive attitude of mothers not previously aware of newborn hearing screening and their willingness to pay out-of-pocket for this service should compel policy makers and healthcare providers in Nigeria to ensure that mothers are well informed to access this essential service for their newborns.

Keywords: Awareness, newborn hearing screening, Nigeria, Ante-natal clinic, expectant mothers.