Maternal care behaviors for preterm babies: Insights from a cross-sectional analysis

The primary role of nurses in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is to ensure that the mothers are competent enough to take care of their preterm babies at home. The current study aims to evaluate the extant practices and methods of mothers in the care of preterm babies and provides important inputs into discharge decisions of a NICU nurse.

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 194 mothers of preterm babies were selected using a purposive sampling technique. A rating scale on preterm baby care was employed to gather data on the prevalent practices by mothers.

The overall practice scores of mothers in preterm care showed a mean of 31.66 ± 2.86. Among these mothers, 137 (70.6%) demonstrated moderate practice levels, and 57 (29.4%) showed good practice. Area-wise analysis indicated the following mean scores: Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), 11.82 ± 1.63; breastfeeding practices, 8.30 ± 1.07; mother-baby interaction, 2.49 ± 0.84; hand hygiene, 1.43 ± 0.67; and administration of oral supplements, 1.20 ± 0.89.

The current study results revealed the prevalence of suboptimal practice in major areas of preterm care. Thus, a health education package was developed to help mothers gain knowledge and practice in preterm baby care. The authors emphasize the need for creating better healthcare education for mothers and suggest NICUs to encourage adopting healthy practices by mothers in preterm.