Effect of Women Self Monitoring of Fetal Kicks on Enhancing Their General Health Status

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of women self monitoring of fetal kicks on enhancing their general health status. Design: An experimental study was used. Setting: The study was conducted at the antenatal outpatient clinic in Mansoura University Hospital, Egypt. Subjects: Two hundred pregnant women were divided into two groups intervention and control group. Tools: An interviewing questionnaire schedule, General health questionnaire, Self monitoring daily fetal kicks chart. Results: The present study results had revealed that, there was a highly statically significant improvement of the total scores of general health status from pre intervention at 28weeks compared to post intervention at 37weeks of gestation among intervention group (23.45± 5.97 at 28 weeks) to (20.73± 4.18) at 37 weeks (P= 0.0001). Also, there was a highly statically significant improvement regarding normality of fetal kicks and total improvement of self monitoring of fetal kicks among intervention group. Conclusion: It was evident from the study findings that the women self monitoring of fetal kicks had significantly improved general health status of pregnant women when compared with women who received only the routine hospital care. This method is cheap, simple, and it could be prescribed to pregnant women as a helpful intervention. Therefore, it is recommended that training program must be designed and implemented to enhance pregnant women daily self monitoring of fetal kicks at antenatal clinics.