Authors (including presenting author) :
Kong TY, Lam CK, Lau KY, Siu MK
Affiliation :
Department of Paediatrics, Kwong Wah Hospital
Introduction :
It is known that breast milk can provide numerous nutritional and immune factors which enhance babies’ growth and protect them from infection. However, if the hospitalized baby is NPO, he cannot be benefited. Oral immune therapy is the usage of breast milk in oral care aiming to provide an immune protection for babies, even those who are NPO. Before this study, oral care practice for non-oral fed babies was varied among nursing staffs in Kwong Wah Hospital neonatal unit.
Objectives :
Our study aims are to introduce an evidence based practice, i.e. oral immune therapy, to nursing staffs and standardize the oral care practice in neonatal unit. With knowledge sharing, it was expected that nurses would be motivated by the value of new practice and develop self-confidence to adopt and implement oral immune therapy, i.e. higher practice rate on using breast milk for oral care. Ultimately, the patients’ health outcome could be enhanced.
Methodology :
(1) Pre& Post-study questionnaires to collect baseline assessment and evaluation on current nursing practice in oral care for neonates in the unit, (2) Promotion of oral immune therapy via department newsletter, (3) Provision of sharing session with demonstration video and live demonstration, (4) Establishment of instruction in oral immune therapy and posting in neonatal unit, (5) Establishment of a leaflet to parents, (6) Data collection on documentation of oral care from daily chart records
Result & Outcome :
Questionnaires were collected from 45 nursing staffs and daily chart records of 18 neonates were reviewed. Before the study, only 7% of our nursing staffs knew about oral immune therapy and could list one benefit while 100% of them could list at least one benefit after the interventions. Among them, 73% could correctly point out three benefits. When breast milk is available, compared with zero usage before the study, usage of breast milk in oral care weighed 94.8% after the interventions. Also, 100% of our targets claimed that they would provide oral care for neonates every three or four hours in the evaluation.
To conclude,our nursing staffs were equipped with knowledge and skill in oral immune therapy which is a safe practice and easy to implement. The study brought a behavioral change of them in oral care practice.
