Preparation of parents for birthing and infant care.
The responses to a survey questionnaire of families who used three family practice residency model clinics for obstetric care were examined to determine their perceptions of the usefulness and adequacy of the preparation they received for childbearing and infant care. In this study, variables that often are assumed to be related to adequacy of information, such as parity, attendance at prenatal and in-hospital classes, rooming in, rest, privacy, visitors, and opportunity to ask questions, were also assessed. The educational resource that was rated highest by parents was prenatal discussion with the physician. Ninety-four percent of the respondents reported that clinicians answered their questions adequately. However, for 5 of the 11 issues pertaining to an aspect of family functioning, preparation was rated as inadequate by 40 to 50 percent of the mothers. The only variables that were significantly related to the mean adequacy-of-preparation score were amounts of rest and privacy as well as the opportunity as perceived by the mother to ask questions of clinicians. Furthermore, multiparous and primiparous parents did not differ significantly in the extent to which they perceived themselves to be prepared for infant care.