What topics should we teach the parents of admitted neonates in the newborn care unit in the resource-limited setting - a Delphi study

Abstract

Background In resource-limited settings, such as Rwanda, health care profession (HCP) to neonate ratios are low, and therefore caregivers play a significant role in providing care for their admitted neonates. To provide such Family Integrated Care, caregivers need knowledge, skills, and confidence. The objective of this study was to identify consensus from key stakeholders regarding the priority topics for a “parental neonatal curriculum.” Methods A three-round Delphi-study was conducted. During Round-1, face-to-face interviews were undertaken and responses coded and categorized into themes. In Round-2, participants were presented with Round-1 feedback and asked to provide additional topics in respective themes. In Round-3, respondents were asked to rank the importance of these items using a 9-point Likert scale. Results Ten, 36 and 40 stakeholders participated in Rounds-1, − 2 and − 3 respectively, including parents, midwives, nurses and physicians. Twenty and 37 education topics were identified in Rounds-1 and -2 respectively. In Round-3 47 of the 57 presented outcomes met pre-defined criteria for inclusion in the “parental neonatal curriculum.” Conclusion We describe a “parental neonatal curriculum,” formed using robust consensus methods, describing the core topics required to educate parents of neonates admitted to a newborn care unit. The curriculum has been developed in Rwanda and is relevant to other resource-limited settings. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s40748-019-0106-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

‘Sometimes you are forced to play God…’: a qualitative study of healthcare worker experiences of using continuous positive airway pressure in newborn care in Kenya

“…49 In Rwanda a 'parental neonatal curriculum' has recently been developed using a Delphi consensus technique involving parents and healthcare workers. 50 The development of such curricula has the potential to enhance true partnership with parents. 50 In Malawi, Family-Led Care Models have recently been implemented to improve the facility and home-based care of preterm/low birth weight newborns.…”

“…50 The development of such curricula has the potential to enhance true partnership with parents. 50 In Malawi, Family-Led Care Models have recently been implemented to improve the facility and home-based care of preterm/low birth weight newborns. 51 The evaluation of the impact of these strategies is keenly awaited.…”

Neonatal Hypothermia: Mothers’ Knowledge and Practice at a Provincial Hospital in Rwanda

“…[16,17] Marital status has long been identified as a significant predictor for newborn health improvement; this is supported by a study done in Bangladesh highlighting the role of men in increasing mothers' knowledge in terms of neonatal danger signs, including hypothermia. [11] Concerning the mother's occupation, more than half (59%) were farmers. This may have a positive impact on neonates whose mothers are self-employed or farmers, as a study conducted in Northern India reported that the risk of neonates having hypothermia was minimal for mothers who were working as farmers, staying at home, or selfemployed, compared to those working in the private sector.…”

“…[1] The paucity of Rwandan literature on this topic was a big challenge to the researcher as currently, there was limited evidence addressing neonatal hypothermia. The grand majority of articles were from Asia, [5,6,7,11,12,13] and other articles were from Africa. [2,8,11,14] Data from high income countries are not accessible.…”

“…The grand majority of articles were from Asia, [5,6,7,11,12,13] and other articles were from Africa. [2,8,11,14] Data from high income countries are not accessible. Assessing mothers' knowledge and providing constant health education in terms of neonatal hypothermia, should assist in preventing or reducing cases of hypothermia or readmission to the NICU for this problem.…”