Abstract:
Each year, an estimated 3.6 million infants die worldwide in the first four weeks of life
due to complications of premature birth. One-third of Low Birth Weight (LBW) babies
die within the first 12 hours after delivery. The main reasons premature babies are at
greater risk of illness and death is that they lack the ability to control their body
temperature meaning that they get cold or hypothermic very quickly. Kangaroo Mother
Care reduces mortality and if widely applied it could reduce deaths in premature
newborn babies. The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the lived
experiences of mothers when providing Kangaroo Mother Care at the hospitals in
Vhembe District of Limpopo province. Qualitative approach with explorative
descriptive, contextual and phenomenological designs were employed to explore the
experiences of mothers when providing Kangaroo Mother Care. The study population
consisted of all mothers who were providing Kangaroo Mother Care. A non-probability
convenience sampling method was used to determine the sample of the study. The
size of the sample was determined by data saturation. In-depth individual interviews
were conducted using a central question. The Tesch’s eight steps of open-coding
model guided the process to analyse data. Trustworthiness was ensured throughout
by employing the principles of credibility, dependability, conformability, and
transferability. Ethical considerations were followed to protect the participants.
Recommendations were made based on the research findings. The findings of the
study revealed that mothers who provide Kangaroo Mother Care experience
challenges. They received inconsistent information about the practice of Kangaroo
Mother Care from nurses. The relationship between mothers and nurses was good.
Recomendations were made based on the findings and relevant structures in order to
ensure that mothers challenges are addressed. The study revealed ineffective support
provided to mothers by nurses and family members.
