Attitude variations among health professionals regarding rights of sick children in Assiut and Alexandria

The present study was conducted to identify attitude variations among health professionals regarding rights of sick children in Assiut and Alexandria. The sample consisted of 141 staff nurses, 35 nursing supervisors, and 28 physicians working in the prediatric departments in Assiut University Hospital and in the medical and outpatient departments affiliated to El-Shatby Children's Hospital in Alexandria. A questionnaire sheet including rights of sick children was used to identify attitudes of the participants. It involved 22 items divided into 4 parts, mainly rights for information disclosure, right for consideration, acceptance and respectful care, rights for privacy and confidentiality, and rights for decision making. Likert scale consisting of strongly agree, agree, undecided, disagree, strongly disagree, was used to analyze these items. Data were collected over a period of 6 months starting from the first of July to the end of December 2003. The results of the present study indicated that 74.3% of nursing supervisors followed by 57.1% of physicians and 43.3% of staff nurses had positive attitudes towards rights of the sick child. The total mean score was 91.321 +/- 10.144 and 82.619 +/- 7.801 among staff nurses, 95.200 +/- 8.265 and 93.600 +/- 10.625 among nursing supervisors, and 94.500 +/- 8.959 and 85.250 +/- 10.763 among physicians working in Assiut and Alexandria respectively. Attitudes of nurses and physicians working in Assiut were more positive than attitudes of those working in Alexandria. The opposite was observed among nursing supervisors working in Alexandria. Therefore, it is recommended that sick children's rights should be emphasized in the curriculum of all nursing and medical schools/faculties. Sick children's bill of rights should be available in all health agencies serving children to be referred to whenever needed

Effect of early skin to skin contact on stabilization of neonates' body temperature

Skin to skin contact in the immediate postnatal period is beneficial to the mother and her child. Stabilization of neonate's body temperature is one of its important benefits. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of skin to skin contact on stabilization of neonate's body temperature in the early postnatal period. Data were collected from El Maternite hospital in Alexandria. The sample consisted of 80 term neonates. Normal delivery was the criteria of choice. Mothers and their neonates were divided equally into experimental and control groups. Neonates in the experimental group were placed naked except from diaper between mother's bare breasts soon after birth. Control babies were placed in cots and covered with blankets. Body temperature was measured immediately after birth then every one hour for the first eight hours. Findings revealed that skin to skin contact was effective in controlling and stabilizing neonates' body temperature. Significant difference was found between the neonates and stabilization of their body temperature. The study suggested that hospital policies should consider skin to skin contact. Nurses should encourage mothers or practice skin-to skin contact during the first few hours after birth to protect their neonates from hazards of hypothermia

effect of early initiation of breast feeding on the amount of vaginal blood loss during the fourth stage of Labor

Post partum hemorrhage is a major problem that jeopardizes maternal health. Its prevention can save mothers' life postnatal, through early initiation of breastfeeding. So, the study aimed to explore the effect of early initiation of breast feeding on the amount of vaginal blood loss during the fourth stage of labor. A convenient sample of one hundred primiparae was selected from the delivery unit and post partum unit of El-Shatby Maternity University Hospital in Alexandria. The study subjects were divided equally into experimental group [early breast feeding group] and control group [late breast feeding group]. Two tools were developed and used for data collection. A specially designed interview questionnaire was used during early first stage of labor to collect data about general characteristics of the study subjects. An observational checklist was used during the fourth stage of labor to collect data about uterine characteristics, number of feeds and the amount of blood loss. The early breast-feeding group started feeding immediately after placental delivery, while late breast feeding group started breast- feeding after the first two hours postnatally. The amounts of blood loss for both groups were calculated. The findings of the study revealed that early initiation and increased frequency of breast-feeding could decrease the amount of blood loss during the fourth stage of labor. Therefore, maternity and pediatric nurses have to encourage mothers to start breast-feeding early. They have to explain how breast-feeding is beneficial for both mother and child

Mother's awareness regarding the effect of different aspects of environmental pollution health

This study was carried out on 605 mothers having infants and/or preschool children aiming to assess mothers' awareness regarding the effect of different aspects of environmental pollution health. The results revealed that illiterate and primary educated mothers were less aware of environmental pollution and its effect on health than university graduates as well as the different methods used to prevent environmental pollution. The outcome of this study can help the policy makers to establish a baseline data to emphasize on the public awareness regarding pollution in the community at large