Abstract

Introduction and background: The fetal kick count monitoring tool is a valuable tool to reassure a mother of the health of the fetus. It was unknown if parents understand and use the kick count chart correctly. The purpose of this project was to improve the knowledge of pregnant women on fetal monitoring, the use of fetal kick count chart and its importance in reducing fetal morbidity and mortality rate. The findings were used to develop and strengthen the content of a health education programme in ANC.

Purpose: To determine the knowledge of mothers regarding monitoring of fetal movements using fetal kick count chart.

Methods: A questionnaire and focus group interviews were used to obtain information from the pregnant mothers. Sixty (60) pregnant mothers and four (8) nurses working in the antenatal care and antenatal ward participated in the project.

Findings: At this hospital most pregnant women regarded fetal monitoring as important but had little knowledge of the importance of fetal monitoring and recording on the fetal kick count chart. They confirmed that they received information about fetal monitoring by the staff but were unsure when they are alone at home. It was also difficult to feel the movements which made it difficult to record. The other challenge was that there were many foreign pregnant women who find it difficult to understand the language and there is usually no one to interpret for them. Few women did not have pens to record with, others recorded wrong and others did not record at all. Women with not attend ANC regularly did not recall receiving this information and they did not know how fetal monitoring is done.

Conclusion: There is room for improvement in this area of patient education where patients will take part in teaching other mothers, demonstrations and encouraging fathers to accompany the mothers when attending ANC and involving them during health education. Content on contextual health education for mothers on fetal movement monitoring was proposed.

Description

This poster is the summation of a project undertaken as part of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, Maternal-Child Health Nurse Leadership Academy (2016-2017 cohort).

Author Details

Nompumelelo Pearl Xaba, RN, RM, CHN, B Cur, M Tech

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

N/A

Research Approach

N/A

Keywords:

Nurse Leadership, Leadership, Fetal Kick Count, Maternal-Child Health

Conference Name

Chi Xi at-Large Chapter First Biennial Conference Swaziland

Conference Host

Chi Xi at-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Royal Swazi Convention Center, Ezulwini Valley, Lobamba, Swaziland

Conference Year

2017

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Faculty/Mentor Approved: Sigma Academy Participant Poster

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

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Establishing and strengthening health education programs for mothers and fathers on fetal kick counts during antenatal care to reduce fetal morbidity and mortality rate in a district hospital in Umgungundlovu

Royal Swazi Convention Center, Ezulwini Valley, Lobamba, Swaziland

Introduction and background: The fetal kick count monitoring tool is a valuable tool to reassure a mother of the health of the fetus. It was unknown if parents understand and use the kick count chart correctly. The purpose of this project was to improve the knowledge of pregnant women on fetal monitoring, the use of fetal kick count chart and its importance in reducing fetal morbidity and mortality rate. The findings were used to develop and strengthen the content of a health education programme in ANC.

Purpose: To determine the knowledge of mothers regarding monitoring of fetal movements using fetal kick count chart.

Methods: A questionnaire and focus group interviews were used to obtain information from the pregnant mothers. Sixty (60) pregnant mothers and four (8) nurses working in the antenatal care and antenatal ward participated in the project.

Findings: At this hospital most pregnant women regarded fetal monitoring as important but had little knowledge of the importance of fetal monitoring and recording on the fetal kick count chart. They confirmed that they received information about fetal monitoring by the staff but were unsure when they are alone at home. It was also difficult to feel the movements which made it difficult to record. The other challenge was that there were many foreign pregnant women who find it difficult to understand the language and there is usually no one to interpret for them. Few women did not have pens to record with, others recorded wrong and others did not record at all. Women with not attend ANC regularly did not recall receiving this information and they did not know how fetal monitoring is done.

Conclusion: There is room for improvement in this area of patient education where patients will take part in teaching other mothers, demonstrations and encouraging fathers to accompany the mothers when attending ANC and involving them during health education. Content on contextual health education for mothers on fetal movement monitoring was proposed.