Impact of Individualized Education on Mothers' Knowledge and Practices in Providing Care for Preterm Babies in Uttarakhand

Background: Preterm birth is a critical global health concern affecting millions of infants annually. Mothers of preterm babies play a pivotal role in their care but often lack the requisite knowledge and skills to provide optimal support. The study aimed to determine the status of mothers' knowledge and practices regarding the care of preterm babies as well as provide individualized teaching to enhance their performance by improving their knowledge and practice in the care of preterm babies.

Methods: A quasi-experimental equivalent time series design was adopted for this study. A total of 47 mothers of preterm babies were enrolled using the purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using pretested tools such as structured questionnaires on knowledge and practices across various domains of preterm baby care. The data from mothers were collected three times at regular intervals of three days. Each assessment was followed by re-education on preterm baby care.

Results: Most of the mothers (48.9%) were between the age group of 25-30 years and educated up to graduate and above (51.1%). About 87.2% of the mothers had no prior knowledge about preterm baby care. Most of the babies (76.59%) were born between 32 and 37 weeks of gestation. About 63.8% were male babies and weighed between 1500 g and <2500 g (74.47%). Most babies (89.4%) suffered from conditions such as hypoglycemia, hyperbilirubinemia, and respiratory distress syndrome. At baseline, 95.7% of the mothers had average knowledge, which subsequently improved to 100% after teaching preterm baby care (p<0.001). Similarly, 87.23% of mothers had average practices, which improved to a good level (100%) by the final post-test (p<0.001).

Conclusion: Every new mother's knowledge regarding preterm baby care should be assessed. It is very important to teach mothers about the care of preterm babies to empower them to take care of their babies independently. Regular education of mothers significantly improves their knowledge and practices in preterm baby care.