Peer-reviewed article
Study about the knowledge and attitude of antenatal women on postnatal care and immunisation
Basim Ali C. T., N. Fysal, S. Asha, C. V. Saleema ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined what pregnant women in Kerala, India knew and believed about postnatal care and childhood immunisation. The researchers interviewed pregnant women attending a hospital's antenatal clinic and found that most had good knowledge about breastfeeding, colostrum, and pre-lacteal feeds, but many knew less about vaccination. The study identified a gap between what mothers knew about vaccination and what they actually did in practice, suggesting they need better education on both vaccination and postnatal care.
Key points
- Good awareness among participants about postnatal care and breastfeeding in most aspects
- Majority had correct knowledge about pre-lacteal feeds, colostrum, and timing of breastfeeding initiation
- Significant gap between knowledge and practice regarding vaccination
- Optimum postnatal care, exclusive breastfeeding and vaccination are essential for adequate child growth and development
Limitations
This is a descriptive cross-sectional study from one private medical college in Kerala with no comparison group, so it cannot establish causation or generalise findings beyond this specific setting. The document does not specify the sample size, response rate, or provide detailed quantitative results.
Abstract
Background: Optimum postnatal care, exclusive breast feeding and vaccination are the most essential factors for the adequate growth and development of a child. Interventions to improve these can result in reduction in infant morbidity and mortality. The study was done to assess the knowledge level and attitude of antenatal mothers on postnatal care and immunisation.Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study done in a private medical college in Kerala conducted during September 1 to 31st 2018. All pregnant ladies attending the medical college hospital for antenatal check-up during the study period and willing to participate were included. Data collection was done by interviewing the participants using pretested and edited questionnaire and analysed by applying proportions.Results: The awareness about postnatal care and breast feeding was good among participants while lacking in a few aspects. Majority of them had the right knowledge about pre-lacteal feeds, colostrum and timing of initiation of breast feeding. But there was a gap between the knowledge they possessed and what they practised when it comes to vaccination.Conclusions: There is a need to educate antenatal mothers about various aspects of vaccination and postnatal care.