Pregnant women's knowledge of Rhesus incompatibility at selected primary healthcare centres in Ogun State, Nigeria

Background/Aims The increasing burden of haemolytic disease of the newborn as a result of Rhesus incompatibility has raised global concern, prompting the need for targeted research to better understand pregnant women's knowledge. This study was carried out to assess knowledge, attitude and perceived dangers of Rhesus incompatibility among pregnant women attending primary healthcare centres in Ogun State, Nigeria. Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive study used simple random sampling to select 366 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at selected centres in Ogun State, Nigeria. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed descriptively. Results More than half of the participants were aware of their blood group (56.8%) and knew how to identify Rhesus positive and Rhesus negative antigens (50.5%). Overall, 61.4% of participants were classed as having good knowledge about Rhesus incompatibility. Almost all of the participants agreed that a Rhesus compatibility test is very important for pregnant women (92.9%), with over three-quarters agreeing that all women should have a maternal-fetal compatibility test, whether recommended or not (76.2%). Over half (56.0%) of the participants were classed as having a positive attitude. Conclusions A large proportion of the participants had poor knowledge and a negative attitude regarding Rhesus incompatibility. More education and awareness is needed at antenatal clinics and marital counselling units to ensure women are aware of the risks of Rhesus incompatibility and the benefits of testing. Implications for practice Health talks on Rhesus incompatibility should be included in safe motherhood initiatives. The Nigerian government should subsidise the injection used to prevent postpartum issues in Rhesus negative women for affected pregnant mothers attending government hospitals.