Neonatal cord infection remains a significant contributor to neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries, with umbilical cord care practices playing a central preventive role. Chlorhexidine gel is a World Health Organization-recommended intervention for cord care in high-risk settings, yet its uptake among nursing professionals in Nigeria remains suboptimal. This study assessed the knowledge and practice of nurses regarding the use of chlorhexidine gel in neonatal cord infection prevention at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among 70 neonatal nurses selected by purposive sampling from five wards. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire and analysed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25.0. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were applied at a 5% significance level.All respondents were female (100%), with the majority aged 36–45 years (27.1%) and holding a Bachelor of Nursing Science qualification (74.3%). The majority (71.4%) demonstrated good knowledge of chlorhexidine gel use, while only 47.1% demonstrated good practice. There was no significant association between knowledge or practice and most socio-demographic variables (p > 0.05), except for a borderline association between age and practice (p = 0.05). A statistically significant association was found between knowledge and practice (χ² = 3.583; p = 0.048). Despite adequate knowledge levels, practice of chlorhexidine gel use remains poor among nurses at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Hospital administration should enforce clinical protocols, strengthen training programmes, and ensure consistent supply of chlorhexidine gel to bridge the knowledge-practice gap.
Keywords: Neonatal cord infection, Nursing practice, Omphalitis, Umbilical cord care, chlorhexidine gel
