الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The newborn period is the transitional time from intrauterine to independent existence. It’s defined as approximately the first four weeks after delivery. The greatest gap in care often occurs during the critical first weeks of life when most newborn deaths occur, usually at home and without any contact with the formal health sector. Newborn health and survival depend on the care and practices that are given to them. Some
of these practices may not have any harmful effects on newborn health, while other do so.
Therefore, care practices should be investigated and those which are useful should be
preserved, but that harmful one should replace by useful ones.
The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and practices among
mothers attending family health centers in Alexandria about care of their newborn babies.
This work specifically aimed at assessing the level of knowledge of mothers about the care
of newborn, assessing the mothers’ practices regarding the care of newborn and to identify
some social, economic and reproductive factors determining mothers’ knowledge and
practices related to newborn care.
Study design: A cross sectional design was used to conduct the study.
Study setting: Family health centers in Alexandria Governorate, 400 mothers was
selected from three districts chosen randomly from 8 districts in Alexandria. from each
selected district, one family health center with the highest attendance rate was selected to
represent each district, the predetermined sample was proportionally allocated on selected
family health centers.
Study population: were mothers accompanying their infants attending well baby
clinics in the family health centers in Alexandria Governorate
Inclusion criteria: Mothers having at least one healthy child less than 6 months old
(to ensure that mothers remember relevant information) and willing to participate was
included in the study.
Sampling: The total sample size was estimated to be 400 mothers attending well
baby clinic a multistage random sampling technique was used as follows:
1st stage: from 8 districts, 3 districts were randomly selected.
2nd stage: one family health center with the highest attendance rate was selected to
represent each selected district.
3rd stage: the predetermined sample was proportionally allocated on selected family
health centers.
Data collection: Mothers were interviewed individually by using one structured
interviewing questionnaire that cover the following areas:
1) Personal and socio-demographic background of the studied sample.
2) Data about reproductive history. 3) Data about the infants: Age, gender and birth order.
4) Mother’s knowledge regarding newborn care.
5) Mother’s reported practices regarding newborn care.
6) Relations of mother’s knowledge and practices with some parameters.
In the light of data analysis, the main results of this study could be summarized as
follows:
1. The study sample included 400 mothers participated in the study; more than one third
(36.0%) of the studied sample were between 25 - < 30 years. The highest percentage
(39.7%) of mothers had university and postgraduate education. The majority (83.3%)
of mothers were housewives and only 16.7% of them were working. More than half
(56.2%) of the studied sample had high socio-economic score, followed by 42.8 % of
them belonged to the medium class.
2. Regarding baby’s age, more than one third (35.3%) of the studied sample had babies
aged from 1 to 2 months. As regards baby’s gender, more than half (53.5%) of the
studied sample had boys and 46.5% had girls. Concerning birth order, second or third
child constituted the highest rate among the studied sample (51.3%).
3. The results also revealed that knowledge and practices of mothers regarding newborn
care are adequate in some aspects and inadequate in another. As regards collective
knowledge score, most of mothers (94.0%) had average level of knowledge, while
4.2% of them had high level of knowledge.
4. The knowledge of sampled mother regarding the newborn feeding, showed that above 80% of the studied sample gave correct answers about night feeding, hand wash before bottle feeding and how often should you breastfeed your baby (86.0%, 84.0% and 80.2%, respectively) and with regard to the question about benefits of breastfeeding, correct answers ranged between (98.0% - 32.5%).
5. The knowledge of sampled mother regarding the newborn care, showed that most of
the studied sample gave correct answers about hand washing after change diaper,
container used for bathing, clipping finger nails of newborn, nose care for baby after
bathing and oil or lotion used on skin after change diaper (97.8%, 97.5%, 97.0%,
96.5% and 96.0%respectively).
6. The knowledge of sampled mother regarding the newborn immunization, showed that
the highest percentages of the studied sample gave correct answers about newborn
immunization schedule during first month and the importance of immunization
(96.5% and 95.3% respectively).
7. As regards practice score of sampled mothers concerning newborn care, showed that
most (90.0%) of mothers had average level of practice, while 2.8% of mothers had high level of practice.8. The practice of sampled mother regarding the newborn follow up and screening test
for congenital hypothyroidism, showed that almost all of the studied sample gave
correct practices (100.0 % and 96.0 % respectively).
9. The practice of sampled mother regarding the newborn feeding, showed that most of
mothers (90.7%) gave colostrum to their newborn, almost all (97.5%) of mothers
eructed their babies, 90.5% stated they feed their babies during night.
10. The practice of sampled mother regarding diaper care, showed that, all of mothers
(100.0%) used diaper to their newborn during the first month. Concerning the best
type of diaper used, only (2.5%) of mothers used clothed diaper. When asked about oil
or lotion used on skin during change diaper, the most (93.7%) of mothers mentioned
they used it. Almost all (99.0%) of mother’s frequent change diaper when it became
wet with urine or stool.
11. Concerning mother’s practices regarding newborn care, almost all of mothers gave
correct practice about eye drops used for baby in the first month, eye care for baby
every day, eye drops prescribed by the doctor, clipping finger nails, nose and ear care
for baby after bathing (99.7%, 99.5%, 99.3%, 96.0%, and 95.0% respectively).
12. The study revealed that a relationship was found between the knowledge of mothers
and their reported practice a gradual increase of high and average practices scores by
increase of knowledge scores. The difference was found to be statistically significant
(p= 0.018).
13. As regards mothers’ knowledge about newborn care a significant predictor variables
were found to affect their knowledge. These included: Mother’s education, husband’s
education, computer use, socio-economic level, place and attendant of previous
delivery and numbers of follow up.
14. Regarding mothers practices the present study revealed that some factors influencing
practices of mothers about newborn care as follow: mother’s age, mother’s education,
mother’s work status, husband’s education, computer use, socio-economic level and
numbers of follow up.
In order to improve mothers, knowledge and practices regarding newborn care
based on the results of present study and in view of the previous conclusion, the following
proposed recommendations are suggested:
1. Comprehensive health educational program, for all mothers ever pregnant or recent
delivered mothers inside family health center to raise their knowledge and
awareness. This program has to be designed to meet all the newborn needs.
Educational programs should be carried out especially for normal birth weight, signs
of hunger, best position for baby sleep and danger signs of newborn, this could only
be achieved if they attend regularly for ante-natal care.
2. Campaigns about newborn care should be conducted through public places such as Masques, schools, and Churches.3. Newborn care should be followed up at home by as qualified public health nurse, in order to assist the mother solving any problem that may arise.4. Mass media: Unit administrators should co-operate with mass media authorities,
including television, radio and newspapers to discuss and explain through organized
sessions the most important information about newborn care. This would increase the mother’s knowledge about newborn care to develop further positive behaviors. 5. Disseminate educational materials throughout the health facility about care of newborn. 6. More attention should be given to the premarital phase and to the potential parents.
Health education regarding pregnancy and newborn care should be given enough
attention during this phase of life.7. Further studies are highly needed to evaluate the knowledge of health personnel working at the family health centers regarding newborn care.