Awareness and Acceptability of Prenatal Diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease among Mothers of Affected Children in a Northern Nigerian Teaching Hospital
Authors/Creators
- 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria
- 2. Department of Paediatrics, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria
- 3. Department of Paediatrics, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna, Nigeria
Description
Nigeria has the highest number of people with sickle cell disease (SCD) in the world. To help prevent more children from being born with the disease, prenatal diagnosis (PND) allows parents to know whether their baby will have SCD before birth. However, there is little research in Northern Nigeria focusing on mothers who already have children with SCD. These mothers carry the heavy burden of caring for sick children and face the possibility of having more children with the disease. Understanding how much these mothers know about PND and whether they would be willing to use it is important for controlling the spread of SCD. In this study, 297 mothers of children with SCD attending a hospital in Zaria, Nigeria, were surveyed. The mothers answered questions about their children, personal background, and knowledge of and willingness to accept PND. The data were analyzed to identify factors that influenced awareness and acceptability of PND. The majority of the mothers were Hausa and Muslim, and most had low levels of education. Over half of the mothers had no personal income. Nearly 41% of the mothers had more than one child with SCD, and about 20% had lost a child due to the disease. Only 22.2% of the mothers had heard of PND, mostly from healthcare workers, and just 0.3% had undergone the procedure. After learning more about PND, 93.3% of the mothers said they would be willing to use it. However, religious belief was the main reason for refusal among those who declined. Mothers with higher education levels and those whose children had more severe disease manifestation were more likely to accept PND. In conclusion, awareness of PND among these mothers is low, but most are open to it once informed. Educational efforts could improve acceptance of PND in Northern Nigeria.
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Additional details
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