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Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of kangaroo mother care among Health care professionals in Keetmanshoop District, Namibia

Category ORIGINAL_ARTICLE
Authors Helena Ndahambelela Mhlope, Sabina Aishe David, Linda Nghipondoka- Lukolo
Abstract Background: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) refers to the practice of providing continuous skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, exclusive breast feeding, and early discharge from hospital. The study aim to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices surrounding kangaroo mother care (KMC) among health care professional (HCPs) in Keetmanshoop District; to assess the extent to which HCPs practice KMC in the care of low birth weight (LBW) babies; and to identify challenges in the implementation of KMC among HCPs. Materials methods: This quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at 6 health facilities in Keetmanshoop district. A self-reported questionnaire consisting of Closed-ended questions and 5-point Likert scale was used for data collection. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 24 was used to analyze data. Results: Demographic data revealed that, 79% of participants were females and 21% were males, 30% of participants were between the age of 20 to 30, while 20% were aged between 51 to 60 years. It was discovered that 99% of the respondents believed that KMC promotes bonding between the mother and her baby. Only 39% of health care professionals underwent training on KMC. The majority of HCP 87% agreed that, the policy on kangaroo mother care practice is not displayed in their facilities, while 65% stated that KMC is not effectively implemented in their facilities. Conclusion: The result revealed that, lack of policy, guidelines, and space to accommodate mothers are the major obstacles to the successful implementation of Kangaroo Mother Care.
Year 2020
Month January
Volume 9
Issue 1
Published On 27 Jan 2020
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