Teaching pregnant women about newborns.

This study was undertaken to determine if a video presentation of the interactive abilities of newborns is an effective means of educating pregnant women about newborns. 38 pregnant women participated in the study; 19 in the film group and 19 in the comparison group. All the women completed a short questionnaire assessing their knowledge about the capacity of the newborn to attend, respond, and show preferences for visual and auditory stimulation. The women in the film group completed the questionnaire before viewing the film. Two to three days after birth, the women were visited in the hospital where they were given a short questionnaire similar to the first. Mother‐infant interaction during breastfeeding was observed. Analysis of the data showed an intervention effect on both maternal knowledge and maternal behavior. Mothers who saw the film gave more accurate information about the interactive ability of the newborn and talked to their newborns and smiled at them more often than mothers in the comparison group. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]