A study to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding uses of umbilical cord blood storage among antenatal mothers in selected rural areas at Tumkur district with a view to develop an information booklet

Abstract: A Child is emotionally, physically bond to mother from the period of conception. The fetus receives its nutrition for survival from mother through the umbilical cord. The placenta which is attached to uterus supplies the essential nutrients to fetus for its growth and development. Umbilical cord is a bridge between both mother and fetus. Objectives: The objectives of the study are to assess the knowledge regarding uses of umbilical cord blood storage among antenatal mothers in selected rural areas andto assess the attitude regarding uses of cord blood storage among antenatal mothers in selected rural areas and find out the co-relation between knowledge and attitude onuses of umbilical cord blood storage among antenatal mothers in selected rural areas however to find out an association between the level of knowledge onuses of umbilical cord blood storage with selected demographic variables and finally find out an association between the level of attitude onuses of umbilical cord blood storage with selected demographic variables. Methodology: A descriptive co-relational approach was adopted for the study. Non probability convenient sampling technique were used for the collection of data with Structured questionnaire for knowledge assessment and 3 point Likert’s scale for attitude evaluation were used for the data collection from 100 antenatal mothers at selected rural areas of Tumkur District


Introduction
A Child is emotionally, physically bond to mother from the period of conception.The fetus receives its nutrition for survival from mother through the umbilical cord. 1 The placenta which is attached to uterus supplies the essential nutrients to fetus for its growth and development.Umbilical cord is a bridge between both mother and fetus.What could be more precious than gifting an unborn child a way to fight hematopoietic, genetic or immune system diseases for the rest of his or her life?The birth of a child presents us a very unique opportunity along with the happiness, the occasion delivers us that we have someone more, very important, to care about.This power to produce different kinds of specialized cells makes them so unique and potent for medical therapy. 1 Dr.Mary Laughlin says "For the last two centuries of medicine, doctors have used surgery or drugs as tools to help our patients and to treat disease.Drugs, however, do not alter the underlying disease.They treat the symptoms, but generally they aren't cures.Today we stand on the threshold of curing disease.Curing disease by transplanting stem cells is a huge change. 2Similarly bone marrow transplantation has been used as a means to cure hematological disease, hematological malignancy, malignant solid tumors, congenital immunodeficiency syndrome, and some metabolic diseases. 3The un-availability of bone marrow donors and the problems related to bone marrow transplantation including graft failure and graft-versus-host disease, have urged the search for alternative sources for marrow cells.Until recently, the placenta representing a significant source of fetal blood stem cells was discarded after birth.Since the evaluation by researchers of umbilical cord being a potential source for haemopoietic stem cells (HPSC), and the evidence of advantages over bone marrow, attention has shifted to the establishment of umbilical cord storage. 4Here immediately after the baby's delivery the umbilical cord is clamped from the newborn and a needle attached to a collection bag pre-coated with anticoagulant is inserted in the vein in the umbilical cord.The cord blood measuring approximately 40-150 ml is collected into the bag by gravity drainage.Collected cord blood is cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen and stored at around minus 180 degree centigrade in a cord blood bank for future transplantation. 5The first clinically documented use of cord stem cells was in the successful treatment of a six-year-old boy afflicted by Fanconi's anemia by Dr. Elaine Gluckmen in 1988, in Paris.Since then, cord has become increasingly recognized as a source of stem cells that can be used in stem cell therapy. 6

Material and methods
A descriptive co-relational approach was adopted for the study.Non probability convenient sampling technique were used for the collection with Structured questionnaire for knowledge assessment and 3 point Likert's scale for attitude evaluation were used for the data collection from 100 antenatal mothers atselected rural areas of Tumkur District.

Results and discussion
Section A: Description of demographic characteristics of antenatal mothers.Section E: Association between knowledge and attitude regardinguses of umbilical cord blood storage among antenatal mothers with selected socio-demographic variables.

Conclusion
The conclusion drawn from the study includes, the findings of present study revealed that regarding uses of umbilical cord blood storage, 72(72.0%)were having inadequate knowledge, 28 (28.0%) were found to have moderately adequate, and 00 (0.0%) of them had adequate knowledge regarding uses of umbilical cord blood storage.The overall Mean and SD of subjects is 10.79 with SD 2.85, and the Mean percentage score of subjects for overall knowledge is 43.16.In relation to the attitude of the samples, 89 (89.0%) antenatal mothers were having favorable level of attitude, 11 (11%) were having moderately favorable attitude and no one were found to have unfavorable attitude regarding uses of umbilical cord blood storage.The mean percentage of overall attitude levels was 82.86% with mean 29.83 and SD 1.88.The correlation coefficient computed between the overall Mean knowledge and overall Mean attitude of antenatal mothers as r = -0.18which was found to be not significant at p<0.05 level hence it suggest that there is a negative correlation between knowledge and attitude regarding uses of umbilical cord blood storage among antenatal mothers.The obtained chi-square value shown that there was significant association between the level of knowledge with religion χ 2 =5.94, df=1 and occupation χ 2 = 11.43,df=3.at p<0.05 level.There was significant association between attitude and occupation χ 2 =10.74, df=3 and type of houseχ 2 =7.49, df=2 respectively which showed significance at p<0.05 level.

Table 1
Frequency and percentage distribution of antenatal mothers based on demographic variablesFrequency and percentage distribution of antenatal mothers based on demographic variables such as Age, Religion, education, occupation and type of family N=100 Assessment of the level of knowledge regardinguses of umbilical cord blood storage among antenatal mothers The level of knowledge regardinguses ofumbilical cord blood storage among antenatal mothers was divided into 3catagories.

Table 2
Frequency and percentage distribution of knowledge of antenatal mothers regarding uses of umbilical cord blood storageN= 100

Table 3
Mean Standard Deviation & Mean percentage of knowledge of antenatal mothers regardinguses of umbilical cord blood storageN=100

Table 4
Frequency and percentage distribution of attitude of antenatal mother'sregardinguses of umbilical cord blood storageN=100

Table 5
Mean Standard Deviation & Mean percentage of knowledge of antenatal mothers regarding uses umbilical of cord blood storageN=100

Table 7
Association of knowledge with selected demographic variables of antenatal mothers

Table 8
Association of attitude with selected demographic variables of antenatal mothers such asAge, Religion, Educational status, occupation of the mother, monthly income, type of family, type of house and source of previous information onuses of cord storageN= 100