The evaluation of the education for the pregnants on puerperium care and baby care

SUMMARYThe Evaluation of the Education for the Pregnants on Puerperium Care and Baby CareThis is an experimental study conducted with randomized-controlled pre-test and post-test model in order to evaluate the education for the pregnants on puerperium care and baby Care.The research was carried out between October 10th 2007 and February 5th 2008 in the state clinic No: 3 in the city centre of Kütahya. The sampling was composed of total 100 mothers in the last trimester of pregnancy; 50 as control group and 50 as experiment group. The uniformity of both groups was achieved through one-to-one matching according to age, education level, number of pregnancy and economic condition.Identity Form, Form of Assessment of the Knowledge Level in Healthy Puerperium Care and Baby Care, and Form of Assessment of Postpartum Complications were used during data gathering.As pre-test, Identity Form and Form of Assessment of the Knowledge Level in Healthy Puerperium Care and Baby Care were conducted on 100 mothers who had accepted to be included in the study. The mothers in the experiment group were given appointments for education in the state clinic No: 3 in the city centre of Kütahya as groups of four. Later they were given the ?Puerperium and Baby Care? booklet, which had been prepared upon background information and experts? opinions. The mothers in the control group, on the other hand, were followed in the routine procedure without any intervention. Two months after delivery, when the mothers in both groups were visited, The Form of Assessment of the Knowledge Level in Healthy Puerperium Care and Baby Care (as post-test) and Form of Assessment of Postpartum Complications were applied.The two interviews with the mothers in the control group were first in the last trimester of pregnancy in order to conduct the pre-test and second after delivery in order to conduct the post-test. The three interviews with the mothers in the experiment group were first in order to inform them about puerperium care and baby care, second for the pre-test and third for the post-test.SPSS 13.00 statistic software program was used in the analysis of the data. The statistical assessment was conducted through Percentage, Unpaired T Test, Paired T test and Chi Square Test.As a result of the research, it was determined that the mothers wanted to get informed primarily about baby care; especially about baby feeding.In terms of the mean values of total knowledge scores of the mothers in both groups about healthy puerperium care and baby care, there was no difference between the mean values of pre-test scores in both groups (p>0.05); however, a statistically significant difference between the mean values of post-test scores in favour of the experiment group was determined (p<0.05).It was also found that the mean values of total knowledge scores of the mothers in the experiment group about healthy puerperium care and baby care after education showed a statistically significant increase compared to those before education (p<0.05). When compared with the experiment group, the post-test mean values of total knowledge scores of the mothers in the control group about healthy puerperium care and baby care increased less than the pre-test mean values. When the pre-test and post-test mean values of total knowledge scores of the mothers in the control group, it was seen that there was a statistically significant difference between the tests (p<0.05).In the research, postpartum breast complications, perineal complications, emotional complications and complications in the baby were seen less in the experiment group than in the control group (p<0.05). Moreover, breastfeeding, sufficient breast milk and efficient sucking were seen more in the experiment group than in the control group (p<0.05).In the light of the results of the research, it is mainly recommended that education centres for antenatal, birth and postnatal care and breastfeeding be formed for the pregnants in clinics.Key Words: Puerperium Care, Baby Care, Education Pregnant