Effectiveness of Self-Instructional Module on Collection and Storage of Expressed Breast Milk Among Primi Antenatal Mothers, Tirupat

Abstract

Abstract\r\nIntroduction: Breastfeeding is a special gift from a mother to her baby and is considered the most natural, economical and complete form of infant feeding. Breast milk provides ideal nutrition, immunity and protection against infections. Expressed breast milk is highly useful when the mother is separated from the baby due to maternal illness, employment, hospitalization of the neonate, breast engorgement, difficulty in direct breastfeeding or other temporary conditions. Correct knowledge regarding collection, hygiene, storage, thawing and feeding of expressed breast milk is essential to maintain its safety and nutritional quality. Primi antenatal mothers, being first-time mothers, often lack adequate awareness and confidence regarding expressed breast milk practices. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-instructional module on collection and storage of expressed breast milk among primi antenatal mothers.\r\nMethodology: A pre-experimental one-group pre-test post-test research design was adopted. A total of 100 primi antenatal mothers were selected by purposive sampling technique from Government Maternity Hospital, Tirupati. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview schedule. After the pre-test, a self-instructional module covering meaning, importance, hygienic collection, storage methods, duration of storage, thawing, warming and feeding of expressed breast milk was distributed to the mothers. Post-test was conducted after five days using the same questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.\r\nResults: The study findings revealed that the overall post-test knowledge mean score was 16.13 ± 0.95, which was higher than the pre-test knowledge mean score of 5.69 ± 2.23. The mean difference was 10.44. The calculated paired ‘t’ value was 45.094, which was statistically significant at 0.05 level. This indicates that the self-instructional module was effective in improving knowledge regarding collection and storage of expressed breast milk among primi antenatal mothers.\r\nConclusion: The study concluded that the self-instructional module was effective in creating awareness and improving knowledge among primi antenatal mothers regarding collection and storage of expressed breast milk. Health education through simple written modules can be an effective strategy in antenatal clinics to promote safe infant feeding practices.\r\n