Neonatal Eye Care Practices Among Midwives in Antenatal Clinics in Rivers State

Appropriate neonatal eye care immediately after delivery, including prophylaxis against ophthalmia neonatorum, is an essential component of safe delivery practice and can prevent significant neonatal ocular morbidity. This study assesses knowledge and practices of neonatal eye care among midwives in antenatal and maternity clinics across Rivers State, South South Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive study will be conducted among 250 midwives working in government hospitals and primary health centres in Port Harcourt, Obio-Akpor, and Ahoada local government areas. A self-administered, structured questionnaire will evaluate midwives' knowledge of neonatal eye anatomy, common conditions including ophthalmia neonatorum, current prophylaxis practices, drugs used, and frequency of training on neonatal eye care. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests will analyse associations between training history and knowledge scores. Studies from comparable Nigerian clinical settings show variability in neonatal eye prophylaxis practices, with inconsistent use of tetracycline eye ointment and some reports of harmful substitutes. This has significant implications given the high rates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis among pregnant women in the Niger Delta region. This study provides Rivers State-specific evidence to guide State Ministry of Health policy on standardising neonatal eye prophylaxis protocols and improving training of midwives through the Midwives Service Scheme. Integrating structured neonatal eye care competency into midwifery in-service training is a cost-effective strategy for preventing ophthalmia neonatorum-related corneal blindness. Keywords: neonatal eye care, ophthalmia neonatorum, midwives, Rivers State, prophylaxis