International Journal of Health Sciences

Evaluation of Midwifery Knowledge on Antenatal Care in Omdurman Maternity Hospital Sudan
Abd Elmoneim O. Elkhalifa, Shamim B. Kuppuswamy

Abstract
Objectives: The main objective of the study was to assess midwifery knowledge with special emphasis on antenatal care. Methods: This is an observational, descriptive, hospital based study. Conducted on midwives working at Omdurman Maternity Hospital, Sudan. The study population consisted of 56 midwives, which was the total population of midwives working at the hospital during the period of the study. Standardized, administered pre-tested questionnaire with closed and open ended questions were the instrument used for data collection. Results: The study revealed that, the majority of the midwives belonged to the age group of 40-49 years. Most of them had studied up to the high school level and had undergone a 2 year midwifery training period. A good number of them had also worked as midwives for more than 15 years. The study also shows that, the midwives theoretical knowledge on danger signs of pregnancy, nutrition and diseases that can be transmitted by contaminated delivery instruments was poor. Advices given to mothers by the midwives were found to be of good quality in reference to several important issues during and after pregnancy. Conclusion: A clear need for more intensive training for the midwives with emphasis on antenatal care and strengthening of the training by frequent follow-up evaluation of their performance in-service training courses came up as the main recommendation of the study

Full Text: PDF