tailieunhanh - Assessment of infant care practices and effectiveness of structured teaching programme on 3-6 month infant care in a selected ward in Malappuram, India

Infancy is a critical period in the life of every individual owing to the various adjustments that need to be made for extra uterine survival. Therefore, mortality rates are also very high in this one year period. Good care practices go a long way in reducing morbidity and mortality in this period. A cross sectional study was undertaken on a cohort group of mothers with 3 month old infants to assess their care practices and to determine the effectiveness of a structured teaching programme on good infant care in ward No. 3 of Ponmala Panchayath in Malappuram. Objectives of the study are to assess the infant care practices & to determine the effectiveness of a structured teaching programme on Good infant care to mothers with 3 month old infants. A total of all available mothers with 3 month old infants (16 Nos.) in the mentioned ward were included in the study. A structured interview schedule was used to assess care practices. After pretest, STP on good infant care was provided. After a period of one week, post test data was collected. Significant desirable practices identified were nonuse of prelacteals (except Mecca Water) and exclusive breast feeding. Significant undesirable practices identified included improper breast feeding technique, use of cradles for night time sleep and use of cold water for infant bath. T test was used to assess effectiveness of STP and it was significant at level. This study revealed the prevailing infant care practices and the need for sustained education on infant care. | Assessment of infant care practices and effectiveness of structured teaching programme on 3-6 month infant care in a selected ward in Malappuram, India