Mothers Practice and Associated Factors on Kangaroo Mother Care, in Mekelle City Hospitals Tigray, North Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is a special way of holding low birth weight, preterm and hypothermic babies with skin-to-skin contact between the mother and the newborn in a position like a kangaroo. Most neonatal units in the world do not has appropriate space and material to offer a comfort to mothers providing a continuous KMC. In Ethiopia, KMC has not expanded as broadly as we hoped. To assess the practice and associated factors of mothers on kangaroo mother care practice at Mekelle hospitals, Northern Ethiopia. Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted by using systematic random sampling technique to select 109 mothers. The data was entered, cleaned and coded using Epi-Data version 3.1. Binary logistic regression was used with stata version 12 to test the association between dependent and independent variables. 31(30.10%) women were educated and 29(28.16%) were unable to read and write. Few variables were significantly associated with KMC practice. Those were family support during KMC practice (AOR= 0.010; CI: 0.002, 0.069), problem on KMC practices (AOR= 0.051; CI: 0.003, 0.995) and challenge in health care institutions (AOR= 0.025; CI: 0.002, 0.323) with this factors only 36.2% of mothers practicing KMC. This study analyzed the important factors at health care institution and family which have impacts in the implementation of KMC. The study area was identified with low KMC practice which accounts 36.2% and those identified factors were challenge in the health care institutions, lack of support from mother’s own mother and problems related to KMC practices. Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and Hospital manager work together with different stake holders to fulfill gaps related to KMC practice including infrastructure.

Keywords: Mekelle hospitals, Ethiopia, KMC, LBW, practice, preterm, health care institution

Cite this Article

Solomon Emishaw, Fiseha, Hailemariam Berhie et al. Mothers Practice and Associated Factors on Kangaroo Mother Care, in Mekelle City Hospitals Tigray, North Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Research and Reviews: Journal of Immunology. 2016; 6(1): 21–31p.