Knowledge of Mothers about Preterm Infant Care in Mosul City/ Iraq
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Abstract
Background & objectives: An infant who is born prematurely is more exposed to health complications than normal children in terms of the development of his lungs in particular, and is negatively linked to the chances of contracting diseases and death. The study aims to assess women’s knowledge about preterm infant care in Mosul city.
Methodology: A descriptive study design was conducted in five government hospitals in Mosul city. The purposive sampling method was selected for the study, which consists of 221 women from preterm infant mothers in intensive care unit in Mosul hospitals. Data were collected through face-to-face interview by constructed questionnaire from the 22 of November 2023 until 20th of March / 2024. Descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS software version 26.
Results: The results of the study showed that mothers’ knowledge regarding caring for premature infants was good, except that their knowledge regarding vaccinations (1.750), preventing infections (1.33), and regarding umbilical cord care (1.40) was weak.
Conclusions & recommendations: The study found that mothers' knowledge about caring for premature infants was good, but they lacked knowledge on infection prevention, vaccinations, and umbilical cord care. The researchers recommend health education for mothers on these topics, as premature infants have higher morbidity and mortality risks.
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