Impact of health educational program for pregnant women on their knowledge regarding to postpartum and newborn care

Abstract

Background: The postnatal period, especially the first few days and hours of life, is the most crucial time for both mothers and their children. To cut down on maternal and child mortality, it is crucial to implement educational programs to encourage mothers to have the right knowledge. Aim of the study:To evaluate the impact of health educational program for pregnant women on their knowledge regarding post-partum and newborn care. Research design:Quasi-experimental research design (one group pre-test, post-test) was used to fulfill the aim of this study. Sample: A purposive sample of (70 pregnant women) was used in this research. Two tools were used for data collection: Tool (I) interviewing questionnaire. Tool (II): Pregnant women's knowledge about post-partum and newborn care. Results: The findings of this study revealed that (75.70%) of the studied sample had a poor knowledge level before the implementation of the educational while (90.00%) of the study sample had good knowledge immediately after the implementation of the educational program and slightly decreased to (85.70%) in the first day post-partum with highly statistically significant differences. Conclusion: Implementation of the health education program was effective and significantly improved pregnant women, overall knowledge towards post-partum and newborn care. Recommendation: Regular training programs to educate pregnant women, especially primigravida, to improve their knowledge about post-partum and newborn care which can reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality.