Neonatal Jaundice: Knowledge and Practices of Healthcare Providers and Trainees in Southwest Nigeria

Eta Barclay Department of Hospital Medicine, Children’s Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota;

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Ifelayo Ojo Department of Pediatrics, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, Minnesota;
Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota;

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Anne Hake U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia;

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Abayomi Oyenuga Department of Internal Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota;

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Katherine Satrom Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota;

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Troy Lund Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota;

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Mosunmoluwa Oyenuga Department of Internal Medicine, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri;

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Tina Slusher Department of Pediatrics, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, Minnesota;
Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota;
Department of Pediatrics, Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, Nigeria

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Daniel Gbadero Department of Pediatrics, Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, Nigeria

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ABSTRACT.

Severe neonatal jaundice (SNNJ) is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Risk mitigation and management modalities for SNNJ have led to marked reduction in complications in high-income countries but not in LMICs likely in part due to knowledge gaps among healthcare providers. This study, a cross-sectional study conducted in Ogbomosho, Nigeria, aimed to identify SNNJ knowledge and practices among Nigerian healthcare providers/trainees. Healthcare providers/trainees completed a structured questionnaire. Healthcare providers/trainees included are nurse midwives (33.4%), nurses (18.6%), nursing students (15.2%), traditional birth attendants (TBAs) (12.7%), physicians (10.2%), and medical students (9.9%). Most physicians were aware of the common causes of SNNJ; however, knowledge deficits in other groups were notable. Despite most providers endorsing that glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency can cause SNNJ (91% of physicians, 60% of nurses, 71% of midwives, 81% of medical students, 43% of nursing students, 7% of TBAs), very few providers recognized that it is common, ranging from 3% in nurses up to a high of 47% among medical students. Gaps in provider knowledge regarding preventative measures and sequela were also noted. These data identified significant knowledge gaps regarding the etiology of SNNJ among healthcare providers/trainees, which can lead to missed opportunities in effective prevention and treatment. These deficits must be addressed if we are to eliminate tragic and preventable complications from SNNJ in Nigeria and other LMICs.

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Author Notes

Address correspondence to Eta Barclay, Department of Hospital Medicine, Children’s Minnesota, 2525 Chicago Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404. E-mail: etabarclay@gmail.com

Co-first authors: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Co-senior authors: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors’ addresses: Eta Barclay, Department of Hospital Medicine, Children’s Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, E-mail: etabarclay@gmail.com. Ifelayo Ojo, Department of Pediatrics, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN, and Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, E-mail: iojo@umn.edu. Anne Hake, U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, GA, E-mail: hake0014@umn.edu. Abayomi Oyenuga, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, E-mail: oyenu008@umn.edu. Katherine Satrom and Troy Lund, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, E-mails: ksatrom@umn.edu and lundx072@umn.edu. Mosunmoluwa Oyenuga, Department of Internal Medicine, SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, St. Louis, MO, E-mail: oyenugamosun@gmail.com. Tina Slusher, Department of Pediatrics, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, and Department of Pediatrics, Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, Nigeria, E-mail: tslusher@umn.edu. Daniel Gbadero, Department of Pediatrics, Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, Nigeria, E-mail: adestar168@gmail.com.

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