THE LEVEL OF AWARENESS AMONG THE TEENAGE MOTHERS OF TUBIGON, BOHOL IN RENDERING NEWBORN CARE (part 2)

CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Rationale of the Study

“Simply having children does not make mothers.” – John A. Shedd (http://www.quotegarden.com/parents.html) True enough, motherhood is not based on bearing a child, it is tested by how a mother cares for her child by providing the physiologic needs and wants and giving the required emotional and psychosocial support that her child needs. Becoming a mother is a life-changing event. At this time, a woman does not only think about herself but she also has to consider the general welfare of her child. Motherhood requires a lot of changes; it includes the physiologic, sociologic and economic changes, among others. Because of these changes, a woman must be well-prepared and informed of the changes that she will have to encounter when she gets pregnant and consequently becomes a mother. The best age to get pregnant is anywhere between 18 and 25 years. This is because women are in their fertility process during these years thereby reducing

chances

of

complications

during

(http:/ /www.buzzle.com/articl /www.buzzle.com/articles/best-ag es/best-age-to-gete-to-get-pregnant. pregnant.html) html) .

pregnancy Still,

others

would say that the best time to get pregnant is when the woman is physically,

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2

emotionally, spiritually and financially ready, and clearly, teenage mothers are not. Just when the teen is at her peak of enjoying her adolescent life, a major responsibility is laid onto her shoulders-to mother her child. And because the teen is still unprepared for this major role that she will have to take, she is then forced to mature for the sake of her baby. According

to

Dr.

Elizabeth

Mapella,

Coordinator

of

Adolescent

Reproductive Health Services in Tanzania‟s Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, a young girl who has been coerced to sex might end up with pregnancy, HIV Infections, psychological trauma because this has a long-term impact. Some of them are also not accepted: they are even discriminated. Looking at those who succeed to go through that pregnancy, we are also seeing girls dumping their children because of the social impacts. And looking at their school enrolment and dropouts,

it

is

also

a

social

problem

for

ensuring

education

(http://www.who.int/mediacentre/multimedia/podcasts/2009/teenage-pregnancy20090213/en/). A concrete example is 16 years old Lisa from Georgetown in Guyana. The life-changing situation she experienced is her teenage pregnancy. In December 2008, she gave birth to a boy. As a result, she dropped out of school to stay at home to look after her inf ant son. They now face many challenges. Lisa‟s life is made easier, thanks to family and community support. Her mother has helped her through her pregnancy and delivery and plans to return to school soon. Many















3

(http://www.who.int/entity/mediacentre/multimedia/podcasts/2009/teenagepregnancy-20090213/en/). While there is a prevalence of pregnancy among teens, it is still intensely unaccepted by the society-especially the parents. Because of this reason, as well as their youth, adolescent mothers-to-be are more prone to stress. They suffer both physical and emotional pains (http:/ /www.abs-cbnnews.com/c /www.abs-cbnnews.com/currrent-af urrrent-affairsfairsprograms/01/10/11krusada-teenage-pregnancy) .

The

adolescent

mothers

consistently experience great difficulty in realizing their life plans when compared with their classmates who do not become pregnant premaritally in their early teens. Marital instability, school disruption, economic problems and difficulty in family size regulation and child-rearing were some of the complications brought on by their premature, unscheduled child bearing, and possibly marriage or leaving home leave the teen mother open to significant life stress that can impinge on her parenting ability. And at any age, depression and stress can predispose a parent to neglect or abuse a child. (What Government Can Do, 1984) Save the Children foundation found that annually, 13 million children are born to women under age 20 worldwide, more than 90% in developing countries. The highest rate of teenage pregnancy in the world is sub- Saharan Africa, where women tend to marry at an early age. In Niger, for example, 87% of women surveyed were married and 53% had given birth to a child before the age of 18.















4

poorer “life outcomes” in children of teena ge mothers. Teenage pregnancy in developed countries is usually outside of marriage and carries a social stigma in many communities and cultures. In other countries and cultures, particularly in the developing world, teenage pregnancy is usually within marriage and does not involve a social stigma. Among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the United States of America and United Kingdom have the highest level of teenage pregnancy, while Japan and South Korea have the lowest (http:/ /www.en.wikepedia.org /www.en.wikepedia.org/wiki/teena /wiki/teenage-pregnan ge-pregnancy) cy).. Some 16.5 million Filipinos belong to the 15-24 years old age group. We are forced with a glaring truth that at a very young age, a lot of young people today have children of their own- 30% of all births belong to this age group; and by

the

age

of

20,

25%

of

the

youths

are

already

mothers

(http:/ /www.philippinestoday /www.philippinestoday.net/inde .net/index.php?mo x.php?module=artic dule=article&view le&view=1294) =1294) . Teenage parenthood is widespread in the Philippines, especially among the

poor. 2/3 of the country‟s poorest girls give birth before age of twenty. This helps to

perpetuate

poverty

in

the

slums

of

Manila

(http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/unifeed/d/11425.html). Specifically, giving birth as a teenager is believed to be bad for the young mother because the statistics suggest that she is more likely to dropout of school, to have no or low qualifications, to be unemployed or low paid, to live in poor housing conditions, to suffer from depression and to live in poor welfare.















5

to become involved in crime, to abuse drugs and alcohol, and eventually to become

a

teenage

parent

and

begin

the

cycle

all

over

again

(http:/ /www.thenationalcamp /www.thenationalcampaign.org aign.org/why-it-matters /why-it-matters/pdf/intr /pdf/intruduction. uduction.pdf) pdf) . This sad reality is observed in the teenagers of Tubigon, Bohol wherein there seems to be an increasing number of teenagers being mothers at an early age. The problem is if these teenage mothers are well-equipped of the knowledge on how to care for their newborn. Mothering a newborn is a very tough job because the baby has lots of needs that must be met in order for him/her to grow normally. Needs such as frequent feedings, diaper changes,

immunization, newborn screening and responding to the baby‟s cry are some of the things that the mother must address in order for the baby to grow healthy. This study will help the mother to assess themselves if they have rendered appropriate newborn care and if they were able to address the physiologic, psychologic, sociologic and emotional needs of their baby. As student nurses, this research will also improve and enhance our knowledge on newborn care, thus this study was conducted.

Theoretical Background This study is anchored in the theory of Ramona T. Mercer, the Maternal Role Attainment. Mercer theorizes that there is an identifiable process which most of the mothers go through in mastering the maternal role. She studied and















6

Presidential Decree no. 603 The Child and Youth Welfare Code

Ramona T. Mercer‟s Theory of Maternal Role Attainment

Article 3- Right of the Child Article 9- Levels of Growth Article 11- Promotion of Health

Respondent‟s Profile:    

Techniques of Newborn Care

Age Civil Status Educational Attainment Employment Status

 

   

Proposed Program

Sleep Pattern Feeding (Breastfeed or Bottlefeed) Bathing Crying Occurrence of Illness Applying/ Changing Diapers

















7

documented the process new mothers go through in taking on the role of motherhood.

She

came

out

in

a

four-stage

model

(http://www.nursingtheory.net/mr.attainment_html.ast.Edited). The times for progressing through these stages vary from woman to woman, and the stages may overlap. There is a preparation stage during pregnancy when the mother-to-be makes a commitment to the unborn child begins to attach, and prepares a place psychologically and physically for the baby. Once the baby is born, the second stage of maternal role acquisition begins. This is a period of shock and awe for the new mother. Here the new

mother‟s tasks are recovery, learning the skills and attitudes of care giving, and making the acquaintance of her infant. The sounds are clear enough, but living through

it

is

bewildering

(http://www.nursingtheory.net/mr.attainment_html.ast.Edited).

The new mothers learn to read her infant‟s communications and learns through trial and error how to comfort and care for her baby. This can be a time of great self doubt as new mothers struggle with intense demands for learning and

adjusting

on

very

little

sleep

















8

motherhood.

She

might

even

be

pretty

good

at

it

(http://www.nursingtheory.net/mr.attainment_html.ast.Edited). Lastly, the culminating stage is the achievement of maternal identity. As

Mercer writes, „the woman experiences a transformation of self in becoming a mother, as herself expands to incorporate a new identity and assume

responsibility responsi bility for her infant and her infant‟s future world. The new mother feels competent to care for her baby; she has established a relationship with the baby and loves him/her. The new mother is realizing that motherhood is forever. Thus, this

role

will

now

always

be

a

part

of

her

life

(http://www.nursingtheory.net/mr.attainment_html.ast.Edited). The process of maternal role acquisition happens at the same time as the

process of bonding with one‟s child. According to Mercer, a mother bonding with infants acquire competence in caretaking tasks, enjoy and express joy and pleasure in the role. Positive parent-infant attachment or bonding is necessary for fostering the optimal growth and development of an infant and for encouraging the burgeoning parent-infant love relationship. Attachment begins with the desire to get to know the new other perform, the desire to seek information, and the

















9

non-verbal communication; and by the development of positive love or feeling or commitment (Goulet et al, 1998, Klans and Kenell, 1983). Parenting is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. Parenting refers to the activity of raising a child rather than the biological relationship. Newborn parenting, up to one month of age, is where the

responsibilities of parenthood begin. A newborn‟s basic needs are food, sleep, comfort and cleaning which the parent provides. An infant‟s only form of communication is crying, and attentive parents will begin to recognize different types of crying which represent different needs such as hunger, discomfort, boredom or loneliness. Newborn and young infants require feedings every few hours which is disruptive to adult sleep cycles. They respond enthusiastically to soft stroking, cuddling and caressing. Gentle rocking back and forth often calms a crying infant, as do massages and warm baths. Newborn may comfort themselves by sucking their thumb or a pacifier. The need to suck is instinctive and allows newborns to feed. Breastfeeding is the recommended method of feeding

by

all

major

infant

health

organizations

















10

psychologically and physiologically (Dulce Amor O. Villanueva. Health and Home. Tender Loving Care. Volume 19. Phillipine Publishing House. 2006). According to Presidential Decree Number 603, known as the Child and Youth Welfare Code, the child is one of the most important assets of the nation. Every effort should be exerted to promote his welfare and enhance his opportunities for a useful and happy life. On the Article 3 of the said Presidential Decree which states about the rights of the child, every child has the right to a balanced diet, adequate clothing, sufficient shelter, proper medical attention, and all the basic physical requirements of a healthy and vigorous life. Article 9 discusses about the levels of growth saying that the child should be given adequate care, assistance and guidance through his various levels of growth from infancy to early and later childhood, to puberty and adolescence, and when necessary even after he shall have attained age 21. Furthermore, on Article 11, the promotion of child health shall be given with adequate prenatal and postnatal care both for the child and the mother (Bautista, Felipe S. and Ricardo M.

Guevara. Juvenile Delinquency and Crime Preventio P revention. n. Wiseman‟s Books Trading Incorporation 2008).

















11

THE PROBLEM

Statement of the Problem The purpose of this research study was to evaluate the level of awareness of teenage mothers in different techniques of newborn care. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the teenage mothers of Tubigon, Bohol in terms of: 1.1 Age; 1.2 Civil Status; 1.3 Educational Attainment and; 1.4 Employment Status? 2. What are their techniques of n newborn ewborn care with regards to: 2.1 Sleeping Pattern; 2.2 Feeding (Breastfeed or Bottlefeed); 2.3 Bathing; 2.4 When their Baby Cries;



















12

Significance of the Study This study is significant to teenage mothers in order for them to assess their knowledge and awareness in rendering newborn care. They can gain better understanding of the different needs of their newborn and on how to address these needs. This study will teach them how to become better mothers. To all the teenagers, especially the ladies, because this will enhance their knowledge about effective and proper newborn care. This research will make them realize the consequences of being a mother at an early age. To the Nursing students of Mater Dei College to review their knowledge about proper caring for a newborn. With adequate information, they can provide health teachings in the community to empower young mothers and make them feel confident to provide care for their newborn.



















13

crying, during occurrence of illness such as fever and skin rashes, and in changing or applying diapers.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design This study utilized the descriptive research for the attainment of the objectives. A self- made questionnaire which served as a guiding tool during

assessment to the teenage mother‟s level of awareness toward r endering effective newborn care: the questionnaire was distributed, collected, tabulated, analyzed and interpreted.



















14

Research Subject This study covered the teenage mothers of Tubigon, Bohol aged 13 to 19 years old who became mothers in their youthful age. Thirty (30) teenage mothers were the target number of respondents.

Research Instrument The researchers used a self-made questionnaire to gather information. The research instrument was divided into two parts. Part one contained the profile of the respondents while part two contained the questionnaires on the different techniques of newborn care. The research respondents checked the space provided that corresponded to their answers.



















15

E. Questionnaires were distributed to the selected respondents who were known to be teenage mothers. F. Tabulation, analysis and interpretation interpretati on of the data were done

Data Gathering In gathering data, the researchers looked for respondents who were fit to the study. Interview and distribution of questionnaires were the best tools to gather data. The questionnaires were collected after the respondents answered the questions.

Treatment of Data



















16

2. Weighted Mean – In order to get the weighted mean, the sum of all the products of the frequency and the weight of the responses was obtained and divided by the sum of the frequency.

Formula:

x = ∑fx / ∑f

Where:

x

= weighted mean

∑fx

= sum of all the products of the frequency and the weight of the responses.

∑f

= sum of the frequency

3. Rating and Description – to obtain this, categorize the result from the weighted mean was categorized and each interpretation was converted to its corresponding rate. 4.20- 5.00

-

Strongly Agree





















17

Definition of Terms To have a clearer overview and to gain better understanding of the words used in this study, the following terms below were defined operationally. Awareness

-refers to the mother‟s ability of being acquainted in terms of newborn care.

Care

–refers on how the mothers provide the needs of their newborn.





















CHAPTER II

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter contains the analysis and interpretation of the data gathered regarding the level of awareness among teenage mothers in rendering newborn care. To achieve the purpose of this study, a survey was conducted by the





















19

Figure 1.1 showed that respondents with the age of 18 had the highest number of frequency (10) with the percentage of 33.23 %. Age 16 has the least number of frequency which was (4) or a percentage of 13.33. Age 17 and 19 had the second highest number of frequency which was (8) or a percentage of 26.67. This revealed that the highest number of respondents were at the age of 18. Age 18 has the highest number of teenage mothers because at this age, adolescents are easily aroused sexually and they are undated with sexual stimuli.





















20

Figure 1.2 showed that the civil status which had the highest percentage are the teens who are single which accounted to 80% of the data, while the least percentage were the married teenage mothers which was only 20% among the respondents. Most of the respondents are single. The perceived reasons why most of our respondents are still single are: First, the teenage mothers are still very young; some of them are still minors. Second, the young couples are faced with financial problems as to how to provide the needs of their baby and





















21

Figure 1.3 showed that High School Level respondents had the highest frequency which was (10) or 33.3 %, while the respondents who were Elementary Graduate had the least frequency which was (0) or 0 %. Meanwhile, the High School Graduate and College Level had the second highest frequency which was (8) or 26.67 %. High School students prefer to be with their peers rather than their parents. In drawing out the environment that would best reach to the girls, it was concluded that schools, major shopping malls, dance club,























22

Educational failure, poverty and low self- esteem are understood to be negative outcome of early childbearing. These circumstances also contribute to likelihood of teen pregnancy (uir.unisa.ac.za//03chapter2.Pdf).























23

(Amore, Jose Pepito M. et al. Your Health Guide. Philippines Medi-Marketing, Inc.).























24

Table 2.2.B Management of Teenage Mothers to their Newborn in Feeding (Bottlefeeding) Effective Techniques

Weighted Mean

Interpretation























25

Table 2.3 Management of Teenage Mothers to their Newborn in Bathing Effective techniques Use a bath tub or basin

Weighted Mean

Interpretation

3.77

Agree























26

Table 2.4 Management of Teenage Mothers when their Newborn Cries Effective Techniques

Weighted Mean

Interpretation



















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































62

Curriculum Vitae

Name:

Petallar, Babielyn E.

Gender:

Female

Address

Ondol, Inabanga, Bohol

Date of Birth:

February 28, 1991

Place of Birth:

Inabanga, Bohol

Civil Status:

Single

Citizenship:

Filipino

Religion:

Roman Catholic

Educational Background Elementary:

Ondol Elementary School

Secondary:

St. Paul‟s Academy

Tertiary:

Mater Dei College

THE LEVEL OF AWARENESS AMONG THE TEENAGE MOTHERS OF TUBIGON, BOHOL IN RENDERING NEWBORN CARE (part 2)

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