Effectiveness of a Nurse-Led Infant Health Promotion Education Program on Knowledge Among First-Time Pregnant Women in a Middle Eastern Country.

Abstract

Introduction: The health status and survival of newborns depend on the quality of care provided by mothers. If mothers do not provide essential care due to a lack of knowledge or inappropriate traditional beliefs, it may adversely affect infant growth and development.

Objectives: This study evaluated the effectiveness of an infant health promotion education program on mothers' knowledge regarding infant sleep, safety, dental care, hygiene, personal care, and vaccination.

Methods: The study used a quantitative, cross-sectional, pre-experimental, one-group, pre- and post-test design. The accessible population comprised 171 first-time pregnant women in their third trimester, attending maternity clinics of a university hospital in Amman, Jordan. A convenience sampling technique was adopted. Pre-test knowledge was assessed during the first visit of the third trimester. The nurse-led infant health promotion education program was implemented once per week. On completion after four weeks, the post-test was conducted. The participants completed a demographic data sheet and a knowledge questionnaire.

Results: After the intervention, participants' knowledge about healthy infant sleeping, infant protection, dental care, vaccinations, and hygiene and personal care improved significantly (P < .001). Participants who scored highly in the health promotion program showed greater readiness to care for their infants at home.

Conclusions: Promoting infants' health not only improves the health of the newborn; it also improves the quality of life of the infant, the new parents, and eventually the family. Thus, infant health promotion interventions should be included as part of routine hospital care, which would improve outcomes across the lifespan.