Maternal knowledge of risk factors and preventive measures of congenital birth defects in public health institution of Hawassa City, Southern Ethiopia

Congenital birth defects are structural or functional abnormalities present at birth that affect approximately one in thirty three infants globally, with over 90% of cases occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Maternal knowledge of risk factors and preventive measures is fundamental to their prevention; however, this maternal knowledge level remains insufficiently known and inadequately documented in many resource-limited settings, underscoring the need for further research. To assess maternal knowledge of risk factors and preventive measures of congenital birth defect and to identify factors associated with this knowledge among mothers attending public health facilities in Hawassa City, Southern Ethiopia, in 2023. This cross-sectional study, conducted from July to August 2023, enrolled 422 randomly selected mothers attending public health facilities in Hawassa City. Data were gathered through interviewer-administered questionnaires conducted by trained nurses. The collected data were subsequently entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and analyzed using STATA version 17. Binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with maternal knowledge, with associations quantified by adjusted odds ratios and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals, and statistical significance determined at a p -value of < 0.05. The study found that 58.3% (95% CI: 53.6, 63.0) of mothers demonstrated good knowledge of risk factors and preventive measures of congenital birth defects. Residence (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.3, 4.5), educational attainment (AOR = 4.8; 95% CI: 1.1, 8.1), and antenatal care attendance (AOR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.1, 9.1) were factors significantly associated with maternal knowledge of risk factors and preventive measures of congenital birth defect. Maternal knowledge of risk factors and preventive measures of congenital birth defects was suboptimal. Routine, comprehensive maternal counseling and education is essential to address knowledge gaps and improve child health outcomes.