POSTPARTUM MOTHERS' BEHAVIOR IN CARE OF BABIES DURING NEW HABITS ADAPTATION IN HOSPITAL

Abstract

Background: Indonesia is one of the countries affected by the
Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic with a
fluctuating number of confirmed events (new cases). One of the
populations at risk for infection with the Covid-19 virus is
postpartum mothers and newborns. More than 50% of infant
deaths occur in the neonatal period, which is the first month of
life. Babies who do not get adequate care can experience various
infectious diseases through the umbilical cord, mouth, eyes and
ears, both during breastfeeding, bathing the baby and daily care.
Methods: This study is a descriptive study to describe the
behavior of mothers in caring for newborns during the
adaptation period of new habits after the COVID-19 pandemic at
three regional hospitals, namely Prabumulih Hospital, Sekayu
Hospital and Muara Enim Hospital in 2021. The population in
this study was all postpartum mothers in July 2021, a sample of
96 postpartum mothers was taken by total sampling on 4-30 July
2021. Results: Univariate data analysis showed that 84,86% of
mothers had good knowledge and 80,33% of postpartum
mothers had a good attitude in care babies every day during the
pandemic, especially always washing hands or using hand
sanitizer when touching babies, reducing kissing babies and
limiting the number of visits during the pandemic. Conclusion:
Good knowledge leads to appropriate attitudes and actions in
newborn care; It takes the participation of parents, families, and
health workers to ensure the success of baby care in the new
normal era.