Expectant mothers’ knowledge of childhood communication disorders: An explorative study

Abstract Background: Children with communication disorders can experience significant effects on their growth and language development. Several risk factors can arise during pregnancy and can be prevented with adequate maternal awareness. Thus, expectant mothers’ knowledge plays a crucial role in promoting early identification and timely intervention. This study explores the level of awareness among expectant mothers on childhood communication disorders. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 332 expectant mothers using a validated 10-item self-administered questionnaire that covered fetal developmental milestones, risk factors, and newborn hearing screening. The questionnaire was content-validated by experts and administered individually to participants. Responses were scored and analyzed with respect to educational level, socioeconomic status, place of residence, and pregnancy order. Results: The results showed a median awareness score of 5 (interquartile range = 2.0), with an overall mean of 5.21 (standard deviation = 1.8), indicating limited knowledge among the expectant mothers on communication disorders. Awareness was lowest for several key areas, specifically “communication disorders can occur without a family history” (23%) and “typical age for speaking clearly in sentences” (26.5%). In comparison of demographic characteristics, individuals with higher education levels and better socioeconomic status showed greater awareness of communication disorders ( P 0 .05 ) was observed for rural versus urban dwelling as well as for first pregnancy versus later pregnancy. Conclusions: This study highlights a significant gap in awareness of childhood communication disorders among expectant mothers. Integrating targeted counseling and structured antenatal education into maternal and child health policies is essential to raise awareness and promote early identification. Such measures could establish communication disorders as an important public health concern and promote early identification of at-risk babies.