Relationship between the traditional neonatal care practices and baby health and the socio-economic levels of families Yenidoğan bebek bakımındaki geleneksel uygulamaların bebek sağlığı ve ailelerin sosyo-ekonomik düzeyi ile ilişkisi

Objectives: Every baby born is a hope for the future. Therefore, despite recent improvements, the traditional newborn baby care practice keeps its update. While this traditional practices can sometimes be useful, they can also cause serious problems which threaten baby's life. Our purpose in this study is firstly to determine the positive-negative effects of traditional approaches to the care of newborn babies on their current practices, causes, and infants' health and secondly to determine the relationship between these practices and education and socioeconomic levels of the families. Methods: Our study is the descriptive survey type and it was carried out by in face to face with 300 mothers who had applied to Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan Vakif Gureba Training and Research Hospital Children's Health and Diseases Clinic. According to the socioeconomic level of the family, the families were divided into 3 groups as group 1; high, group 2; middle, group 3; low socioeconomic levels. The groups were compared in term of traditional newborn baby care practices. Results: In this study, 25 (8.3%), 153 (51%) and 22 (40.7%) of the 300 mothers were in the group 1, 2 and 3 respectively. There was found no difference between in the groups in terms of mother's-father's age, gender-age of the youngest child. The education level of the parents, the ratio of working mothers and nuclear family, the duration of living in Istanbul were found significantly higher in group 1. The number of persons and children at home is significantly higher in group 3. In our study, 91.3% of the mothers gave breast milk as first food to their baby. Breastfeeding rates in the first 2 hours postpartum were significantly higher in group 1. No significant difference was found between in the groups in terms of weekly baby bathing frequency, umblical cord care methods, salting of infants and the ratio and duration of swaddling. However, squeezing the infants' nipple and lemon, oil or rub application in the baby's eye was significantly less observed in group 1. The number of mothers who are aware of the importance of the colostrum was essentially higher in groups 1 and 2. The rate of regular vitamin D use was significantly higher in group 1. In group 3, more family members were consulted on issues related to the baby, while in groups 1 and 2, health professionals were consulted. Conclusion: Traditional approaches that threaten infant health are diminishing when the education and socioeconomic levels of the family are increased. National policies on infant care should be established, and firstly women and the whole community, should be educated. Extended English summary is in the end of  Full Text  PDF (TURKISH)  file . Ozet Giris ve amac: Dogan her bebek gelecek icin bir umuttur. Bu nedenle modern tiptaki gelismelere ragmen geleneksel yenidogan bebek bakim uygulamalari guncelligini korumaktadir. Bu geleneksel uygulamalar bazen faydali olabilirken, bazen de bebegin hayatini tehtit eden ciddi sorunlar yaratabilmektedir. Bu calismadaki amacimiz; yenidogan bebek bakimiyla ilgili geleneksel yaklasimlarin gunumuzdeki uygulamalarini, nedenlerini, bebek sagligi uzerine olumlu-olumsuz etkilerini belirlemek, bu uygulamalarin ailenin egitimi ve sosyoekonomik duzeyiyle iliskisini saptamaktir. Yontem: Calismamiz tanimlayici tipte bir anket calismasidir. Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan Vakif Gureba Egitim-Arastirma Hastanesi Cocuk Sagligi ve Hastaliklari Klinigi’ne basvuran 300 anneyle yuz yuze olarak yapilmistir. Aileler sosyoekonomik duzeylerine gore, grup 1; yuksek, grup 2; orta grup 3; dusuk sosyoekonomik duzey olarak siniflandirilmistir.  Gruplar geleneksel yenidogan bebek bakim uygulamalari acisindan karsilastirilmistir. Bulgular: Ucyuz annenin 25’i (%8.3) grup 1’de, 153’u (%51) grup 2, 122’si (%40.7) ise grup 3’de yer almaktadir. Anne - baba yasi, en kucuk cocugun yasi ve cinsiyeti acisindan gruplar arasinda fark saptanmamistir. Ebeveynlerin egitim ve aylik gelir duzeyi, calisan anne oranlari, cekirdek aile orani ve Istanbul’da yasanan sure grup 1’de anlamli olarak yuksektir. Evdeki kisi ve cocuk sayisi grup 3’de anlamli derecede fazladir. Annelerin %91.3’u bebegine ilk besin olarak anne sutu vermistir. Dogum sonrasi ilk 2 saatte emzirme orani grup 1’de anlamli olarak yuksektir. Haftalik banyo sikligi, gobek bakim yontemleri, bebeklerin tuzlanmasi, kundak oranlari ve sureleri acisindan gruplar arasinda fark yoktur. Bebeklerin memelerinden sut bosaltilmasi ve gozune limon, yag, surme surulmesi grup 1’de anlamli olarak az uygulanmistir. Kolostrumun onemini bilen anneler grup 1 ve 2’de daha fazladir. Grup 1’de daha yuksek oranda duzenli D vitamini kullanilmaktadir. Bebekle ilgili konularda grup 1 ve 2’de saglik calisanlarina, grup 3’de ise aile buyuklerine danisilmaktadir. Sonuc: Anne babanin egitim seviyesi ve ailenin sosyoekonomik duzeyi yukseldikce bebek sagligini tehtit eden geleneksel yaklasimlar azalmaktadir. Bebek bakimi konusunda ulusal politikalar olusturularak, kadinlar basta olmak uzere tum toplum egitilmelidir.