Knowledge and Attitude of Pregnant Women towards Buscopan in the Management of Labour in Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba

Buscopan (Hyoscine-N-butylbromide) is a widely used antispasmodic agent in obstetric practice for alleviating cervical spasm and facilitating cervical dilation during labour. However, knowledge and attitudes regarding its use among pregnant women remain underexplored in Nigeria. This study sought to assess the knowledge and attitude of pregnant women towards the use of Buscopan in the management of labour at Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 422 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics at ABSUTH. Participants were systematically selected and data were collected using a structured, pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes. Inferential statistics including Chi-square and Spearman's rank correlation were applied to examine associations. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Out of 422 respondents, 65.9% had heard of Buscopan, but only 34.6% correctly identified its use in aiding cervical dilation. While 54.3% acknowledged its ability to reduce cervical spasm, only 33.4% were aware of its side effects. Attitudinally, 75.1% agreed or strongly agreed that Buscopan is helpful during labour, yet 50.2% expressed concerns about potential harm. A strong positive correlation was observed between knowledge and attitude scores (ρ = 0.61, p < 0.001). Educational level, parity, and source of information were significantly associated with knowledge and attitudes towards Buscopan (p < 0.05). Although awareness of Buscopan is moderately high among pregnant women in ABSUTH, significant gaps in specific knowledge and mixed attitudes exist. Improved antenatal education and communication by healthcare providers are recommended to enhance informed decision-making and acceptance.丁溴东莨菪碱（Buscopan, Hyoscine-N-butylbromide）是产科临床中广泛使用的解痉药物，用于缓解分娩过程中的宫颈痉挛、促进宫颈扩张。然而，尼日利亚地区孕妇对该药物使用的认知与态度仍未得到充分探索。本研究旨在评估尼日利亚阿巴市阿比亚州大学教学医院（ABSUTH）内，孕妇对丁溴东莨菪碱用于分娩管理的认知与态度。本研究采用描述性横断面调查设计，对在ABSUTH产前门诊就诊的422名孕妇开展调研。研究对象通过系统抽样法选取，数据收集采用经过预试验的结构化访谈式问卷。研究使用描述性统计学方法汇总受试者的社会人口学特征、认知水平与态度情况；采用卡方检验、斯皮尔曼秩相关等推断性统计学方法分析变量间的关联，检验水准设定为p<0.05。在422名受访者中，65.9%的人群听闻过丁溴东莨菪碱，但仅34.6%的受访者能够正确识别其辅助宫颈扩张的用途。54.3%的受访者知晓其可缓解宫颈痉挛，但仅33.4%的人群了解该药物的不良反应。态度层面，75.1%的受访者同意或完全同意丁溴东莨菪碱对分娩过程具有帮助，但50.2%的受访者表达了对其潜在危害的担忧。认知得分与态度得分之间呈现显著正相关（ρ=0.61，p<0.001）。受教育程度、产次以及信息来源与孕妇对丁溴东莨菪碱的认知和态度均存在显著关联（p<0.05）。尽管ABSUTH的孕妇对丁溴东莨菪碱的知晓度处于中等偏高水平，但在具体认知层面仍存在显著缺口，且态度呈现分化。研究建议加强产前健康教育，并由医疗服务提供者优化沟通方式，以提升孕妇的知情决策能力与药物接受度。