Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of kangaroo mother care among Health care professionals in Keetmanshoop District, Namibia

Background: Kangaroo mother care (KMC) refers to the practice of providing continuous skin-to-skin contact between motherand baby, exclusive breast feeding, and early discharge from hospital. The study aim to assess the knowledge, attitude, andpractices surrounding kangaroo mother care (KMC) among health care professional (HCPs) in Keetmanshoop District; to assessthe extent to which HCPs practice KMC in the care of low birth weight (LBW) babies; and to identify challenges in theimplementation of KMC among HCPs. Materials methods: This quantitative, cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at6 health facilities in Keetmanshoop district. A self-reported questionnaire consisting of Closed-ended questions and 5-point Likertscale was used for data collection. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 24 was used to analyze data. Results:Demographic data revealed that, 79% of participants were females and 21% were males, 30% of participants were between theage of 20 to 30, while 20% were aged between 51 to 60 years. It was discovered that 99% of the respondents believed that KMCpromotes bonding between the mother and her baby. Only 39% of health care professionals underwent training on KMC. Themajority of HCP 87% agreed that, the policy on kangaroo mother care practice is not displayed in their facilities, while 65% statedthat KMC is not effectively implemented in their facilities. Conclusion: The result revealed that, lack of policy, guidelines, andspace to accommodate mothers are the major obstacles to the successful implementation of Kangaroo Mother Care.