AbstractNeonatal infections are major cause of morbidity and mortality in children, particularly significant in developing countries like India. Patient attendance attributed to neonatal infections is high 20–40% of all out patients, 12–35% of in patients. Neonatal infections are infections of the neonate (newborn) acquired during prenatal development or in the first four weeks of life (neonatal period). Neonatal infections may be contracted by mother to child transmission, in the birth canal during childbirth, or contracted after birth. The title of the study is ‘’Effectiveness of structured teaching Program on prevention of neonatal infections among the post-natal mothers in selected hospitals at Salem District, Tamilnadu”. Objectives: (1) To assess the existing knowledge on prevention of neonatal infection among postnatal mothers. (2) To determine effectiveness of structured teaching Program on regarding prevention of neonatal infections among postnatal mothers. (3) To fine the association between post-test knowledge level regarding postnatal mothers of neonates with their selected demographic variables. Methodology: Quasi–experimental research design was used. Among 60 mothers using non-probability convenient sampling and data was collected using structured knowledge questionnaire regarding neonatal infection & its prevention among postnatal mothers. Results: In pre-test the mean score of general information regarding neonatal infections is 1.58, Eye infection was 2.18 Umbilical cord infection was 2.27, skin infection was 2.38 and oral thrush was 2.97. During the pre-test 95% of the samples had inadequate knowledge, 5% of samples had moderate knowledge and 0% of the samples had adequate knowledge. And during post-test 10% of postnatal mothers of neonates had moderately adequate knowledge and 86.67% of postnatal mothers of neonates had adequate knowledge and 3.33% of postnatal mothers of neonates had inadequate knowledge. During posttest knowledge mean score was 23.72 and in pre-test the mean was 11.38 and the mean difference was 12.34 and the obtained’ t-test value = 45.018 which was significant (p < 0.05). Hence, concluded after structured teaching Program the level of knowledge is increased.
Keywords: Neonatal; Infection; Newborn; Child & Postnatal mother.