Background: Health care associated infections (HAIs) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) are major causes of mortality and morbidity in NICUs. Infection control plays a major role in reducing incidence of HAIs. Thus, the purpose of the current study is to assess the effect of implementation of infection control program on the knowledge and adherence of NICU healthcare providers to infection control measures, in order to improve their knowledge and adherence to infection control measures.

Subjects and methods: An interventional study was conducted from November 2016 to February 2018 at Zagazig university Hospital in pediatric hospital and emergency NICUs. The study included assessment of health care providers' knowledge and adherence to infection control measures before and 3 months after implementation of infection control program.

Results: A high statistically significant improvement in knowledge and adherence of healthcare workers about infection control measures in the studied NICUs after intervention (P value ≤ 0.05). Total knowledge of resident physicians had been improved after intervention by 28.57% and 33.06% in pediatric and emergency NICUs respectively. Also, nurses' total knowledge score had been improved by 40% and 44.44% in pediatric and emergency NICU respectively after intervention.

Conclusion: At Zagazig university hospitals' NICUs, the implementation of infection control program improved the knowledge and adherence of resident physicians and nurses about infection control measures.