A descriptive study to assess the knowledge of mothers regarding the home care management of preterm babies in selected Hospital Perinthalmanna

A non experimental descriptive study was conducted to assess the knowledge of mothers regarding home care management of preterm babies in selected hospital perinthalmanna. The main objectives of the study was to assess the knowledge of mothers regarding home care management of preterm babies. Thirty mothers of preterm babies fulfilling the inclusion criteria were selected by purposive sampling technique. The study was conducted at Moulana hospital and MES hospital from 22 july to 27th july. A structured questionnaire was used for assessing the knowledge regarding various aspects of home care management of preterm babies including general knowledge, thermoregulation, nutritional needs, skin care and infection control. The collected data were analysed by using frequency, percentage and chi square method.

The result revealed that 56% of the mothers had average knowledge in infection control, 63.3% of them had average knowledge in general knowledge, and 53.3% of the mothers had average knowledge in skin care, only 42.7% of the mothers had poor knowledge in thermoregulation and 48.48% of the mothers had poor knowledge in nutritional needs. There is a significant association between age of the mother, educational status, number of children, family pattern and income except residence.

The investigator found that the mothers had knowledge regarding home care management of preterm babies, and poor knowledge in thermoregulation and nutritional needs. Overall finding shows that 58.55 of the mothers had average knowledge, 45.62% of them had poor knowledge and none of them had very good and good knowledge regarding the home care management of preterm babies.