• Most. Rahima Khatun

Antenatal care can help women prepare for delivery and understand warning signs during pregnancy and childbirth. Through preventive health care, women can access micronutrient supplementation, treatment of hypertension to prevent eclampsia as well as immunization against tetanus. However the present study has conducted to assess the awareness of rural and urban mothers regarding antenatal care; to identify the knowledge of rural and urban mothers about exclusive breast feeding, to determine the status of knowledge of rural and urban mothers regarding complementary feeding. This study was a descriptive cross sectional type of research design. This study was conducted at labour wards and Gynaecology wards of the Khulna Medical College Hospital in Bangladesh. A large number of mothers were coming from different places to receive antenatal care, child birth and postnatal care. However, the final sample size for data analysis in this study was 442 antenatal mothers. Among them 241 mothers from rural and 201 mothers from urban area as considered their living place. Systematic random sampling method was used to recruit the eligible subjects in this study. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected by using questionnaire. Primary data were collected by face to face interview with the respondents. Secondary data were collected by review secondary sources such as books, research reports, journals, different websites and internet etc. The content validity of the instruments (The Demographic data questionnaire, the knowledge related questionnaire and the Impact related questionnaire) in the original English version were validated by reviewing relevant data and information. Collected data were analyzed by computer program Microsoft Excel. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analyzing the data. The descriptive statistics including frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation were used for analyzing the demographic characteristics; awareness related and impact related data. The inferential statistics including chi-square test were used for analyzing the co-association between urban and rural mothers awareness. From the result it was found that the mother’s awareness gained through antenatal care, most 91.3% rural mothers and 97.5% urban mothers knew about the meaning of antenatal care and only 8.7% rural and 2.5% urban mothers did not know about that. Regarding the place of care provide most 93.8% rural and 90% urban mothers knew where antenatal care provide and whether or not taken of antenatal care majority 96.3% rural and 90.5% urban mothers were taken antennal care. Maximum 81.3% rural and 74.11% urban mothers knew that antenatal care is important for mother and children benefit but only 2.1% rural and 1% urban mothers didn’t know about the important of antenatal care. Half of the mothers 58.5% rural and 51.2% urban mothers knew that examination is done when antenatal care provide. The result showed that the antenatal visits half (51.5%) rural mothers had taken fourth ANC for the check up but urban mothers’ less than 50% fourth visit had taken during pregnancy. Maximum 90.9% rural and 86.1% urban mothers knew about colostrums, respectively most mothers (90.9% rural and 82.1% urban) knew about meaning of colostrums, benefit of colostrums. From the result it was also found that the advantages of breastfeeding maximum 93.4% rural and 84.1% urban mothers knew about the benefit of breastfeeding. On behalf of counseling of breastfeeding maximum 25.7% rural and 42.3% urban mothers said that they had counseled by the doctors. Regarding the complementary feeding maximum 87.6% rural and 84.6% urban mothers knew that complementary feeding should start after 6 months and more than half (57.3%) rural and 60.2% urban mothers knew that breastfeeding continue with complementary up to 24 months. Maximum 75.5% rural and 73.6% urban mothers said that they had advised about extra nutrition during ANC and mostly 68% rural & 62.2% urban mothers knew that extra food need for mother and babies good health. More food intake during pregnancy maximum 54.4% rural and 52.7% urban mothers told that they ate rice, dal, meat, fish, egg, milk and vegetables. And mostly mothers 78.8% rural and 66.6% urban knew that anemia, low birth weight and illness are the more common problem due to less food intake.

Antenatal care, Mother, New born, Knowledge, Awareness, Rural, Urban Exclusive breast feeding, Complementary feeding

"Knowledge and Awareness of Mothers on Antenatal Care and Feeding New Born at Khulna District in Bangladesh", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 9, page no.b383-b400, September-2023, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2309144.pdf

"Knowledge and Awareness of Mothers on Antenatal Care and Feeding New Born at Khulna District in Bangladesh", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 9, page no. ppb383-b400, September-2023, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2309144.pdf