Knowledge and Practice Regarding Postnatal Care among Mothers Residing In Selected Slum Area of Dharan, Nepal

Postnatal care is one of the most important maternalhealth-care services for not only prevention of impairment anddisabilities but also in reduction of maternal mortality. Safemotherhoodreport also highlights that the majority of womenin developing countries receive almost no postpartum care. Adescriptive cross sectional study design was adopted for thisstudy. The sample size was 60 and purposive sampling methodwas adopted to select the ward and mothers meeting theinclusion criteria. Data were collected by using pre-tested; semistructuredinterview schedule. The study showed that themedian percentage of overall knowledge regarding postnatalcare among mothers was 51% and that of practices regardingpostnatal care among mothers was 33.3%. This showed thatthere was lack of practices in comparison to Knowledge. Therewas significant association of knowledge regarding postnatalcare with respondents’ level of education (p value= 0.031),whereas there was no significant association between practicesregarding postnatal care with other socio-demographicvariables. Knowledge regarding postnatal care had significantpositive correlation with practice that means when knowledgeincreased practice also increased. The study conclude that thereis knowledge regarding postnatal care among mothers likepostnatal checkup, hygiene, birth spacing, additional diets,complications and danger signs;Whereas there is still lack of knowledge among mothersregarding postnatal period, postnatal exercise, earlyambulation. There is difference in the overall knowledge (57%)and practices (68%) regarding postnatal care among mothers