Maternal Knowledge of the Preventive Measures for Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn in St. Mary's Hospital, Umuowa, Orlu, Imo State, Nigeria

Background: Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn (HDN) is a preventable immune-mediated condition causing significant neonatal morbidity and mortality, particularly in low-resource settings where awareness and access to preventive measures remain limited. Objective: This study assessed maternal knowledge of HDN and its preventive measures, and identified barriers to effective prevention among mothers attending St. Mary's Hospital, Umuowa, Orlu, Imo State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study employing a census approach was conducted among 83 mothers attending the child welfare clinic. Data were collected using a structured, validated questionnaire with four sections: socio-demographics, knowledge of HDN (15 items), knowledge of preventive measures (16 items), and barriers to prevention (16 items). Reliability was established with Cronbach's alpha of 0.777. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means) and presented in tables. Results: The majority of respondents (79.5%) demonstrated poor knowledge of both HDN (mean=1.92±0.93) and its preventive measures (mean=1.98±0.94). Only 45.8% knew their blood group and Rhesus factor, while 28.9% knew neither. Critical knowledge gaps existed regarding post-miscarriage sensitization risk (mean=1.76) and Anti-D prophylaxis indications (means ranging 1.69-1.77). Barriers assessment revealed moderate-to-high obstacles (mean=2.86±0.98), with 49.4% reporting high barriers. Top barriers included: never receiving information from health workers (mean=3.29), unawareness that Rh-negative mothers need special care (mean=3.25), unavailability of Anti-D (mean=3.19), poor provider explanation (mean=3.18), stock-outs of Rh typing kits (mean=3.13), and inadequate provider training (mean=3.08). Cultural barriers ranked lowest. Conclusion: Profound knowledge deficits and systemic barriers perpetuate HDN prevention failure in this rural Nigerian community. Despite high antenatal attendance, essential screening and education are not routinely delivered. Urgent health system strengthening including provider training, commodity security, and structured patient education is required to prevent this avoidable disease.