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Volume 2, Issue 5 (Suppl)

Clin Pediatr, an open access journal

ISSN: 2572-0775

Pediatric Nursing 2017

September 04-05, 2017

September 04-05, 2017 | Edinburgh, Scotland

Pediatric Nursing & Healthcare

International Conference on

Health worker perceptions on barriers to provision of kangaroo mother care in Bungoma County,

Kenya

Angela Muriuki

Save the Children, Kenya

Statement of the Problem

: Prematurity-related complications are leading causes of neonatal mortality in Kenya. Approximately

12% of births are preterm and 8% of births are low birth weight (LBW). To improve their survival, WHO recommends the

use of kangaroo mother care (KMC), which is endorsed by the Kenya Ministry of Health, but the introduction and scale up

of KMC services has been slow. Health worker buy-in and support for KMC is critical to the roll out of KMC services. This

study sought to examine health worker perceptions on the factors that would affect KMC implementation in one rural county

in Kenya.

Methodology

: Three focus group discussions and 10 in-depth interviews were held with service providers and health facility

managers from 18 facilities who had been trained on KMC and whose facilities had either started or were in the process of

starting KMC service provision. Interviews were transcribed into Word and transferred to NVIVO for an inductive thematic

analysis.

Findings

: Most of the participants in the FGDs and IDIs could identify benefits of KMC. The main barriers identified were

classified into system-related and caregiver-related barriers. The system-related barriers included staff attitude towards KMC

and confidence in care of small babies, perceived increase in workload with inadequate staff, lack of infrastructure to support

KMC provision and weak involvement of other departments in KMC. The caregiver-related barriers included caregiver

commitment, support systems and community perception of KMC and resultant stigma.

Conclusion

: Tackling the staff-related barriers to KMC could accelerate the initiation of services in their facilities. Even where

space is an issue, motivated staff could support mothers in the provision of intermittent KMC. Emphasis should be placed on

proper counselling of mothers on the benefits of KMC and on the need for a strong support system. Community mobilization

to tackle stigma must be included as part of KMC programs.

Angela Muriuki, Clin Pediatr 2017, 2:5(Suppl)

DOI: 10.4172/2572-0775-C1-005