Background: Neonatal jaundice is a foremost cause of hospitalization in the first week of life worldwide. If not properly managed, it may result in significant bilirubin-induced morbidity and mortality. Aim: To evaluate the knowledge and practice of expectant mothers towards neonatal jaundice (NNJ) in Aba, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a questionnaire based study involving 300 expectant mothers during antenatal visit. Data was entered into a computer and descriptive analysis done using SPSS software version 17. Results: The respondents were aged 19 -44 years, mean age, 29.2 ± 4.6 years. Two hundred and eighty eight (96%) were aware of NNJ, and 150 (50%) had health workers as their source of information. Most, 249 (83%) knew one site of recognition of NNJ. Only 24 (8%) knew one danger sign while 264 (88%) did not know any at all. Majority, 244 (81.3%) did not know any cause of NNJ. Only 30 (10%) knew appropriate treatment modality while only 42 (14%) would appropriately take a baby with NNJ immediately to hospital. Conclusion: There is paucity of knowledge on causes and danger signs of NNJ amongst expectant mothers in Aba. Health care providers should be encouraged to disseminate information on NNJ to the general population in places of worship, communal and social gatherings.

Background: In Nigeria, neonatal jaundice is commonly treated by overhead phototherapy with neonates lying supine, often with effective exposure of less than one half of the body surface. Total body exposure in phototherapy has been in use for less than 2 years in Nigeria, but is available in only five neonatal centres. Aim: To compare the effectiveness of total body exposure (TBPE) with the conventional partial exposure (COPT) for treatment of hyperbilirubinaemia. Methods: Eleven datasets from 10 neonatal units across Nigeria were retrieved. They included neonates with severe hyperbilirubinaemia treated with TBPE using the Firefly® device (MTTS Asia) as a test group. The remainder of the patients, the controls, were treated with COPT. Any requirement for exchange blood transfusion (EBT) in either group was documented. Total serum bilirubin (TSB) >213.8 μmol/L (12.5 mg/dL) was treated as severe hyperbilirubinaemia. The efficiency of the intervention was determined according to the time taken for a severe case to be downgraded to mild at ≤213.8 μmol/L. Results: A total of 486 patients were studied, 343 controls and 143 cases. Mean (SD) postnatal age was 6 days (0.7) for cases and 5 (0.9) for controls, for gestational age (GA) in completed weeks was 36 (0.5) for cases and 37 (0.7) for controls and for birthweight was 2.7 kg (0.25) for cases and 2.7 (0.22) for controls. Mean (SD) pre-intervention TSB was 299.3 (35.7) μmol/L for cases and 327.3 (13.9) for controls. Severity downgrade day was Day 2 (0.4) for cases and Day 5 (1.1) for controls. Overall relative EBT rate was 6% for cases and 55% for controls (p= 0.0001), and early preterm relative EBT rate was 0% for cases and 68% for controls (p < 0.01). Conclusion: TBPE was quicker and safer for reduction of hyperbilirubinaemia and patients rarely required EBT. TBPE is recommended for rapid reduction of serum bilirubin levels and the reduction of treatment costs, morbidity and mortality in low-and middle-income countries.

INTRODUCTION: Culture includes the values of a people and affects nurturing of children as well as illness attribution. In spite of scientific discoveries, traditional practices that relate to health-seeking behaviors have persisted. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this work was to highlight the harmfulness and consequent negative effects of some of these practices on child health. METHODS: A 1-year longitudinal study of children who attended the children's emergency and outpatient departments of a health institution in an urban area in Nigeria was carried out. Oral interviewing of the caregivers and physical inspection of the children was carried out for all patients. Treatment history, preferences for health care, and obvious traditional attempts at cure were evaluated. RESULTS: There were 4484 hospital visits during which 2040 children were evaluated. The most common form of medical intervention at home before the visit was the use of herbal remedies (964 [47.25%]), scarifications that remained after blood-letting procedures (867 [42.5%]), and pastes applied on the anterior fontanel (24 [1.18%]). Other less common but more traumatic therapies were foot roasting (18 [0.88%]), heat treatment of extremities (6 [0.29%]), and application of special preparations orifices (0.88%). CONCLUSIONS: The high use of traditional methods of treatment and the harmfulness of some of them calls for health providers in any environment to evaluate these practices to use the information obtained as tools for health education, thereby discouraging harmful treatments and encouraging the practice of useful ones.

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