Maternal competencies among mothers with infants at early infancy in Sri Lanka; a qualitative evaluation

Introduction: Maternal competencies among mothers with infants at early infancy are sparsely described in the literature. This study explores the dimensions of competencies among mothers with infants at early infancy in the Sri Lankan context. Methods: An exploratory qualitative study was conducted using focus group discussions with mothers, fathers, and grandparents of infants aged up to 6 months and in-depth interviews with health personnel providing maternal and child health services for these mothers and infants. The Framework approach for qualitative data analysis was used to identify dimensions of parenting competencies in mothers at early infancy. Results: Five dimensions of maternal parenting competencies were identified i.e.; feeding the infant, maintaining hygiene, dealing with crying, dealing with illnesses and recognizing the normal growth and development. Conclusions: The findings can be used to develop culturally specific tools to assess the level of parenting competencies in mothers and to design maternal educational interventions to reinforce their parenting skills.