Interventions in public health require a wide range of activities to fulfill the desired goal. These interventions are divided into three categories namely clinical, behavioral and environmental (Attena, 2014). Taking care of infants at night involves waking up a number of times to attend to them when they wake up. New mothers are prone to mental and physical health disorders when they do not get enough rest. The connection between the maternal and infant problem create complexities in methodology and strategy deployment (Symon, & Crichton, 2017). This discussion examines how the tangled problem can be effectively solved using strategies discussed herein, simultaneously or exclusively.
Health Promotion Strategy
WHO describes health promotion as the process of facilitating people to have more control over, and to better, their health (Khasnabis et al. 2010). The process goes beyond focusing on individual behavior into more comprehensive social and environmental interventions. Maternal and infant health can be improved by providing knowledge on healthy sleep habits and environments. Mothers and infants can gain through healthy sleep habits coaching and getting the experience of behavioral sleep. For instance, giving knowledge on infant sleep and feeding patterns, and healthy bedtime practices to the public (Symon, & Crichton, 2017). To offer social interventions that aim at promoting maternal health, an evidence-based study needs to guide the solution. This can involve conducting studies on various sets of people to understand the problem from a societal level, and also come up with comprehensive solutions (Lorgelly et al., 2010). However, this strategy casts a wide net, making it hard to determine the economic outcome.
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Specific Protection Strategy
Specific protection strategies target a group or type of health problem and complement the objectives of health promotion (Attena, 2014). Other than an omnibus intervention aimed at the whole society, the problems are classified using related contexts, and specific solutions implemented (Khasnabis et al. 2010). Considerations made to categorize maternal health problems become more specific when infants and sleep deprivation are introduced. Specific intervention, in this case, is more effective and offer more support to methodology when complementing a health promotion strategy (Lorgelly et al., 2010). For instance, public health interventions can specifically focus on mothers with infant babies.
Early Detection Strategy
Early detection of risk is essential for public health or clinical outcome. This strategy involves screening for risk factors or early stages of a disease or condition. Caregivers can assess whether a situation warrants screening efforts using criteria such as the Wilson and Jungner criteria for screening. Screening for depression and anxiety in new mothers is an example of an early detection strategy. The baby’s clinical records too can provide an insight into their sleep behavior (Symon, & Crichton, 2017). Knowing the mental and physical health state of mothers and infant can help caregivers intervene strategically.
Disability Limitation Strategy
Disability limitation is an intervention process that uses measures to reduce the impairment disabilities, and accustom the patient to irredeemable conditions (Khasnabis et al. 2010). New mothers may be unable to correctly perform their daily duties due to physical exhaustion caused by lack of sleep. As a means of intervention, the child care or house chores could be delegated to another person to allow the mother to rest. However, measuring well-being is contentious when deciding between individuals’ capabilities or functioning.
Rehabilitation Strategy
Finally, rehabilitation strategy involves coordinated and combined use of medical, social, vocational and educational measures to return a person to their highest possible functional ability (Khasnabis et al. 2010). This can be achieved through training or retraining. Infants can be trained to manage their sleeping behavior. For example, specialists suggest that babies be placed on the bed before they sleep, other than when they are asleep. This reduces the dependency on rocking to sleep. Mothers can also opt to be sleeping when the infant is sleeping during the day, to avoid fatigue and stress when their night sleep is broken.
References
Attena, F. (2014). Complexity and indeterminism of evidence-based public health: An analytical framework. Medical Health Care and Philosophy, 17, 459-465.
Khasnabis, C. Heinicke M. K., Achu K., Al-Jubah K. … & Brodtkorb S. (2010). Community-based rehabilitation: CBR guidelines. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Lorgelly, P., Lawson, K. D., Fenwick, E. A. L., & Briggs, A. (2010). Outcome measurement in economic evaluations of public health interventions: A role for the capability approach? International Journal for Environmental Research and Public Health, 7, 2274-2289.
Symon, B., & Crichton, G. E. (2017). The joy of parenting: Infant sleep intervention to improve maternal emotional well-being and infant sleep. Singapore Medical Journal, 58 (1): 50–54. doi: 10.11622/smedj.2016046
