Abstract
Nutrition refers to the amount and chemical form of nutrients needed to support normal
health, growth, and development without disturbing the metabolism of other nutrients.
Pregnant and lactating mothers must have adequate knowledge and good practices
to address the nutritional needs of their infants and prevent health problems, growth
retardation and developmental delays linked to poor nutritional intake. Mothers often
have limited nutritional knowledge and practices addressing infants’ nutritional needs
due to maternal illiteracy, cultural barriers, and low socioeconomic status.
The purpose of this study was to determine and describe first-time mothers’ knowledge
and practices in addressing the nutritional needs of infants aged 0-12 months in the
Shiselweni Region, Eswatini, and to make recommendations for nurses working with
first-time mothers to ensure sufficient knowledge and appropriate practices to meet
the infants’ nutritional needs in the Shiselweni Region, Eswatini.
A quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental and contextual design was used to
determine first-time mothers’ knowledge and practices in addressing the nutritional
needs of their infants aged 0-12 months. A simple random sampling method was used
to determine the population for the study, which was 253 respondents. After the
population of 253 first-time mothers was approached, 235 respondents indicated their
willingness to participate, and they signed a written consent form. These respondents
completed a self-report questionnaire, which was used to collect data. The collected
data were captured on an Excel spreadsheet and presented as descriptive statistics
and frequency distribution using tables and figures. The statistician used the IBM
SPSS version 28 of 2022 software program to analyse the data.
The validity and reliability of the research instrument were ensured. Ethical clearance
was obtained from the university, Ministry of Health, and clinics before data collection
commenced. The researcher also adhered to the ethical principles of informed
consent and autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and the principle of justice
throughout the study.
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The study revealed a majority of first-time mothers (79.1%) had some knowledge of
infants’ nutritional needs. However, 71.1% indicated a lack of knowledge of
micronutrients and micronutrient deficiencies in infants. The study’s findings provided
an in-depth understanding of first-time mothers’ knowledge and practices regarding
the nutritional needs of infants aged 0-12 months in the Shiselweni Region, Eswatini.
It allowed the researcher to make recommendations for nurses working with first-time
mothers to ensure sufficient knowledge and appropriate practices to meet the infants’
nutritional needs in the Shiselweni Region, Eswatini.
The burden of infant malnutrition remains a global challenge that requires targeted
interventions. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding
for six months and the introduction of complementary food at six months with
continued on-demand breastfeeding for at least 24 months in order to combat infant
malnutrition. It is therefore essential for mothers to adhere to the World Health
Organization recommendations for infant feeding to assist in eradicating infant
malnutrition worldwide.
Keywords: First-time mothers, knowledge, practices, infants, nutritional needs