Effect of Instructional Program on Mothers' Knowledge, Behavior, and Reported Practices Regarding Crying and Shaken Baby Syndrome

Crying is a common symptom in the first three months of life, a normal part of an infant's development, and a means of communication between the infant and their carers. Aim: Evaluate the effect of instructional programs on mothers' knowledge, behavior, and reported practices regarding crying and shaken baby syndrome. Methods: A quasi-experimental research design was utilized. Setting: The study was conducted in the in-patient and out-patient units at Minia University Children's Hospital. Sample: A convenient sample included all the available mothers (52). Tools: Three tools were used for data collection. Tool I: The interviewing questionnaire included demographic data of the studied mothers and their infants, general knowledge of mothers regarding crying, shaken infant syndrome, and crying and shaken scale. Tool II: Behavioral scale regarding inconsolable baby crying. Tool III: Mothers’ reported practices to soothe infant crying. Results: Cleared that; most of the studied mothers had good knowledge post-program compared to the minority of them pre-program. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter and one quarter had fair and good behavior respectively post- program compared to no one had good behavior pre-program. Most of the studied mothers had adequate reported practices post-program compared to half of them pre-program. Conclusion: The program effectively improved the total level of mothers’ knowledge, behavior, and reported practices regarding crying and shaken baby syndrome. Recommendations: The program should be applied early for the mothers in the post-partum period in the hospitals to educate them about the normal behavior of the infant.