Assess the Knowledge and Practice of Mothers Regarding Kangaroo Care with a View to Develop Health Education Module on Kangaroo Care

Abstract

The Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) method is a humane, low cost, standardized, protocol predicated care system for preterm and ⁄ or Low Birth Weight (LBW) infants and is predicated on skin-to-skin contact between the preterm baby and the mother and exclusive breast feeding. The psychosocial effects of KMC include reduced stress and enhanced mother-infant bonding, with positive effects on the family environment and the infant’s cognitive development. The benefits for all babies on Kangaroo Mother Care are that they stabilize faster on skin to skin care than in the incubator. They do not stabilize in the incubator in the first six hour of life. then KMC babies have stable oxygen rates and breathing. The heart rate is stable. The temperature is most stable on the mother in skin to skin care the mother’s chest automatically warms a cold baby. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive survey design was used to assess the knowledge and practice of mothers regarding kangaroo care with a view to develop health education module on kangaroo care. The study conducted on 80samples. Data was collected using structured questionnaire on knowledge and practice. Health education module is use as an information. RESULTS: The knowledge related data revealed that, Majority of the respondents86.25 % (69) was belongs to inadequate level, 13.75% (11) of respondents belongs to moderate level and none of them had adequate level of knowledge regarding Kangaroo care. The Practice related data revealed that 77.25% of respondents belongs to inadequate level, 22.75% of respondents belongs to moderate level and none of them had adequate level of Practice regarding Kangaroo care. The correlation coefficient (r=0.496) between knowledge and practice was positive and statistically significant at 5% level. The null hypothesis is rejected and the research hypothesis is accepted. Hence, there is a significant correlation between knowledge and practice regarding Kangaroo care among post-natal mothers at 5% level. It evidence that higher the knowledge results in higher the practice, i.e., higher the knowledge leads to more in practice towards Kangaroo care among the post-natal mothers. Conclusion: From the findings of present study, it was concluded that the overall knowledge and practice of mothers regarding Kangaroo care is poor. It implied that increase in knowledge will result in increase in practice among the sampled post-natal mothers. There is significant association between knowledge score of mothers and selected demographic variables