Assessment of Mothers’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Regarding Care of their Infants with Hydrocephalus

Abstract

Background: Hydrocephalus considered a long- term condition normally identified in early childhood. Aim: This study aimed to assess mothers’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding care of their infants with hydrocephalus. Design: A descriptive research design was utilized in this study. Setting: This study was conducted at Outpatient Clinic and Inpatient Neurosurgery unit at Abo El rish- El Monira affiliated to Cairo University Hospitals and Mustafa Hassan Pediatric Hospital affiliated to Fayoum University Hospitals. Subject: A purposive sample that composed of (90) mothers accompanying their infants with hydrocephalus. Tools: Two tools were used to collect data, 1st tool : a structured interviewing questionnaire to assess knowledge of studied mothers and 2nd tool : observational checklist to assess actual reported practices of studied mothers regarding care of their infants with hydrocephalus Results: more than half of studied mothers can’t read and write and residence of them were urban areas, majority of them were house wife and married, and there was statistical significant positive correlation between total knowledge and practice scores. Conclusion: it can be concluded that more than half of the studied mothers had unsatisfactory knowledge, more than one third of them had mild burden and moderated burden and while more than two third of studied mothers had inadequate practices regarding care of their infants with hydrocephalus. There was a statistically significant relation between mothers' total level of knowledge and their educational level, more over there was a statistically significant relation between mothers' total level of attitudes and their occupation and there was a statistically significant relation between mothers' total level of reported practices and their age and educational level. Recommendations: Continuous educational program for mothers having infants with hydrocephalus to increase their knowledge and practices regarding care of their infants.