A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY TO ASSESS THE KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE REGARDING COLOSTRUM FEEDING AMONG ANTENATAL MOTHERS IN THE I.G.M HOSPITAL, AGARTALA, WEST TRIPURA, WITH AVIEW TO DEVELOP A LEAFLET ON IMPORTANCE OF COLOSTRUM FEEDING

Author Name: Miss. Sarmista Biswas

Volume/Issue: 03/01

Country: India

DOI NO.: 08.2020-25662434 DOI Link: https://www.doi-ds.org/doilink/07.2022-91622554/UIJIR

Affiliation:

Department of Child Health Nursing, Senior Tutor, Charnock Health Care Institute, Newtown, West Bengal, India

ABSTRACT

Colostrum has been shown, helps to prevent and control infections. It inhibits the attachment of bacteria to the body’s epithelial (surface) tissue, contains lactoferrin that serves as a powerful natural antimicrobial and antiviral, and provides passive immunity to various high-risk organisms. In addition, colostrum includes immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) that neutralize viruses and bind bacteria. Colostrum provides passive immunity through the intestinal absorption of immunoglobulins. To assess the knowledge of antenatal mothers regarding colostrum feeding, to assess the attitude of antenatal mothers regarding colostrum feeding, to find out the co-relation between knowledge and attitude of antenatal mothers regarding colostrum feeding, to find out the association between knowledge of antenatal mothers regarding colostrum feeding with their selected demographic variables, to find out the association between attitude of antenatal mothers regarding colostrum feeding with their selected demographic variables & to develop and distribute a leaflet regarding colostrum feeding. Purposive sampling technique was adopted for the study. Data were collected from 100 antenatal mothers who were attended the MCH clinic of I.GM hospital by self-administered structured knowledge questionnaire and 5point Likert attitude scale. Collected data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. The correlation between knowledge and attitude was r = 0.3, which indicates there was a positive low correlation, definite but small relationship. There was significant association between knowledge score with educational status (calculated ‘F’ value=2.35, tabulated ‘F’ value=2.30, df between the group=5 & df within the group=94), at 0.05 level of significance. There was significant association between attitude score with period of gestation (calculated ‘F’ value=4.30, tabulated ‘F’value=3.09, df between the group=2 & df within the group=97), at 0.05 level of significance. The study concluded that the knowledge of the antenatal mothers regarding colostrum feeding was moderately adequate and the attitude of antenatal mothers regarding colostrum feeding was favourable.

Key words: Assess, Knowledge, Attitude, Antenatal mothers, Colostrum, Leaflet.