Changing the risky beliefs of post-partum women about therapeutic sun-exposure.

BACKGROUND

Many post-partum women hold risky beliefs about perceived therapeutic benefits of sun-exposure in the post-partum period and infancy.

QUESTION: Can a maternity hospital based educational intervention reduce the prevalence of such beliefs among post-partum women?

METHODS

In this outcome evaluation of an interventional study, two groups of healthy post-partum women (hospital inpatients) were interviewed, 1-4 days following delivery. The first cross-section (106 women) was recruited prior to in-services for maternity staff; the second (203 women) was recruited after completion of the in-services. Data were compared between the groups.

FINDINGS: More pre-intervention than post-intervention women reported they would expose their baby to sunlight to treat suspected jaundice (28.8% vs. 13.3%; p<0.001) or help his/her skin adapt to the sun (10.5% vs. 2.5%; p=0.003); or use sunlight to manage breastfeeding-associated sore/cracked nipples (7.6% vs. 2%; p=0.026).

CONCLUSION

This simple, effective educational intervention could be implemented in programmes for parents, health professionals and students.