Newborn screening in Türkiye: mothers’ knowledge and attitudes explored through a cross-sectional study

Newborn screening is a critical public health strategy aimed at the early detection of congenital and metabolic disorders, yet parental awareness and participation remain inconsistent across different populations. This study aimed to assess mothers’ objective knowledge and attitudes regarding newborn screening in Türkiye and examine the associations among objective knowledge, total knowledge-and-attitude scores, and selected sociodemographic characteristics. A cross-sectional analytic study was conducted between June and October 2024. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the researcher-developed Mothers’ Knowledge about Newborn Screenings Form, and the Mothers’ Knowledge and Attitudes about Newborn Screenings Scale. Descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlation analysis were used. The sample of the study consisted of 441 mothers receiving care in the postpartum unit of a maternity and children’s hospital in Türkiye. Participants’ mean score on the Mothers’ Knowledge and Attitudes about Newborn Screenings Scale was 14.88 ± 7.16. Objective knowledge scores were negatively correlated with total knowledge and attitude scale scores ( r = − 0.316, p < 0.01), indicating that greater objective knowledge was associated with more favourable knowledge and attitudes toward newborn screening. Mothers demonstrated gaps in objective knowledge regarding newborn screening. Objective knowledge scores were negatively associated with total knowledge-and-attitude scores. Because the scale is reverse-scored, greater objective knowledge was associated with more favourable knowledge and attitudes; however, the cross-sectional design does not permit causal or directional conclusions. The findings indicate a need to strengthen mothers’ knowledge regarding newborn screening. Nurses and midwives may support informed decision-making by providing clear and consistent education and counselling during prenatal and postnatal care. Further research is needed to determine whether such educational strategies improve participation in and trust toward newborn screening programmes.