Abstract
Background: Teenage mother awareness for the child care has long effects on a person's social, emotional and physical health. Nurse can raise teenage mother awareness regarding care for the first baby care. Aim: This study aimed to assess awareness of teenage mother for care the first baby. Design: A descriptive research design was applied in this study. Sample: A purposive sample included 286 teenage mothers. Setting: MCH in health unit south of Giza – Egypt. Tool of data collection: One tool included three parts, 1st part: Socio-demographic characteristics of teenage mothers, 2nd part: teenage mother's knowledge regarding care for the first baby, 3rd part: teenage mother's reported practices. Results: 61.5% of teenage mothers had poor knowledge and 66.1 % of them had insufficient total practices toward their infant care. There were statistically significant teenage mothers' knowledge and teenage mothers' practice regarding their infant's care. As well as between teenage mothers' practice towards their infant's care and infants' health problems. Conclusion: less than two third of studied teenage mother had poor knowledge about care of the first baby, and two third of them had insufficient of total reported practice regarding care for the first baby. There is statistically significant relation between teenage mothers' sociodemographic data and their knowledge, and reported practices regarding care for the first baby. Recommendation: Applying health education programs for teenage mother focusing care of the first child.
Key words: Awareness, Care of First Baby, & Teenage Mothers.