Effectiveness of m-Health application "Sishu Suraksha" on maternal knowledge, satisfaction with home care practices and clinical outcomes, growth and development of high-risk neonates following NICU discharge from a selected tertiary care hospital: A randomized controlled trial

mHealth intervention is a web-based application for healthcare services in remote areas through interaction with healthcare professionals by enriching the network with the mothers and healthcare providers. Through the app, mothers of high-risk neonates will be empowered to care for their high-risk neonates at home after discharge from the NICU. The app will have a simple interface that will be easy to navigate. This app will help in monitoring neonate’s growth and development, health status after discharge from the hospital, immunization status, facilitating early recognition of danger signs and prompt referral, health information on breastfeeding, expression of breast milk and feeding, kangaroo mother care, hygiene practices including bath, massage and diaper care, complementary feeding, diaper change/day. All mothers of high-risk neonates will be selected, and Randomization will be done by using computer-generated sequences. The participants will be assigned to the experimental and control groups by sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes (SNOSE method) for allocation concealment.  The pre-test will be conducted the day before discharge, and mothers will be given health education regarding home care practices for high-risk neonates using appropriate audio-visual aids. The app will be installed on the participant’s mobile, and detailed instructions on the use and benefits of the app will be given to the participants. The post-test will be conducted at one month, 3 months, and 5 months after discharge. Data will be analyzed by using specific tests like repeated-measure ANOVA, mean, and SD.