ABSTRACT

THE EFFECT OF BABY-INFANT CARE EDUCATION ON MOTHERS' ABILITY TO CARE FOR PREMATURE AND LOW BIRTH WEIGHT (LBW) INFANTS IN THE PERINATOLOGY WARD OF RSU 'AISYIYAH PONOROGO
Research at 'Aisyiyah General Hospital, Ponorogo
By: Heri Tri Handayani

Premature infants and those with low birth weight (LBW) are at high risk of health complications, requiring optimal and intensive care from parents at home. Mothers’ lack of knowledge and skills in post-discharge care poses a major challenge. This study aims to determine the effect of baby-infant care education on improving mothers’ ability to care for premature and LBW infants at home. This study used a quasi-experimental design with a one-group pre-post test approach. The respondents consisted of 20 mothers of premature and LBW infants, selected using purposive sampling. The intervention consisted of infant care education focused on meeting nutritional needs (breastfeeding techniques) and preventing infections (umbilical cord care and handwashing habits). Mothers’ competency levels were assessed before and after the intervention using an observation sheet.
The results showed that before the infant care education intervention, 4 participants (20.0%) had good competence and 16 participants (80.0%) had poor competence. After the intervention, 14 participants (70.0%) had good competence and 6 participants (30.0%) had poor competence. Analysis using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test yielded a p-value of 0.002 (< 0.05), indicating a significant effect of the baby-infant care education on mothers’ ability to care for preterm and low birth weight infants in the Perinatology Unit at ‘Aisyiyah General Hospital in Ponorogo. Baby-infant care education is effective in improving mothers’ ability to care for preterm and low birth weight infants and can serve as a strategy for ongoing education regarding infant care at home. The provision of baby-infant care education influences mothers’ ability to care for preterm and low birth weight infants at home. Structured education on nutritional needs and infection prevention directly influences mothers’ understanding and practical skills when providing self-care. Therefore, the Baby-Infant Care Education program is highly recommended for mothers as a guide for caring for their infants at home, and for hospitals to integrate it as part of their standard discharge planning.

Keywords: Baby-infant care education, Mothers' Ability, Premature Infants, LBW