| dc.description.abstract | In Uganda and in particular Mulago hospital, evidence shows that there are many premature babies in relation to the incubators so predisposing premature babies to various problems. These babies are faced with problems such as hypothermia, digestive intolerance of feeds and difficulty in breathing and death among others. Despite that introduction of Kangaroo mother care by the ministry of health, addressing the problem of its adoption is yet to yield fruits that many mothers are not practicing it. It was envisaged that if not addressed, hypothermia, digestive intolerance of feeds would remain evident and persistent coupled with deaths among neonates.
Findings in which a cross sectional study which encompassed the administering of questionnaires to 128 mothers with premature babies to specifically assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of kangaroo mother care among mothers in Mulago Hospital, found and concluded that most mothers with premature babies are aware about Kangaroo Mother Care. To them what is known is that Kangaroo Mother Care method ensures provision of warmth by keeping the baby skin-to-skin, prevention of infection, enabling of early discharge with follow-up among others.
The study also established that majority mothers with premature babies have got a positive attitude with regard to the use of Kangaroo Mother Care Method which is demonstrated through their willingness to the make use of it alongside their willingness to advise fellow mothers known to make use of Kangaroo Mother Care method. Despite their knowing and positive attitude, the use of Kangaroo Mother Care method amongst mothers with premature babies stands only at 34.4%.
The study as well established that several factors affect the use of Kangaroo Mother Care method amongst mothers with Premature babies amongst which is father involvement, the costs of care, and the length of hospital stay alongside the attitude of healthcare staff.
Based on the findings, the study recommends amongst others that government through the ministry of health alongside hospitals make efforts to sensitize women of reproductive age and especially those attending antenatal care on the benefits of using Kangaroo Mother Care method and that more efforts be made geared towards increasing the staffing of health care practitioners in the hospitals as to support the need for Kangaroo Mother Care. | en_US |
