author(s)
Malarvizhi S, X Emerensia, Karthigaieswari and Suja Santhosh

abstract
Virtual newborn care, a mobile phone-based platform, supports mothers in newborn care. These platforms offer comprehensive education on crucial aspects of newborn care, including breastfeeding techniques, recognizing signs of illness, thermal care, and basic hygiene practices. Virtual-assisted newborn care stands as a pivotal tool in empowering mothers with the skills, confidence, and satisfaction needed to nurture their newborns during the critical early stages of life. This mixed-method study aimed to assess the effectiveness of assisted virtual care on the satisfaction of mothers regarding newborn care in a selected hospital in Coimbatore. The conceptual framework of the study was based on Modified Roy’s Adaptation theory. The study used a sequential explanatory mixed-method design. The research was conducted in two phases: Phase I involved a quasi-experimental post-test control group design with 60 mothers (30 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group), assessing satisfaction with newborn care using structured interviews, bio-physiological measurements, and a satisfaction rating scale. Phase II used a phenomenological design to gather qualitative data from 12 mothers through in-depth interviews, focusing on their experiences and satisfaction. The intervention consisted of assisted virtual newborn care, where mothers received daily guidance and support via WhatsApp video calls from the 3rd to the 28th day after delivery. Data analysis involved both descriptive and inferential statistics for Phase I and thematic analysis for Phase II. Ethical considerations, including informed consent, confidentiality, and participant comfort, were maintained throughout the study. The result revealed that on the 29th-day post-intervention, significant differences were observed between the experimental and control groups in newborn-related parameters, with higher mean scores for length (T=2.342, P=0.023) and weight (T=2.23, P=0.030) in the experimental group. Physiological parameters also improved significantly in the experimental group, including sucking behavior (χ²=18.912, P=0.000), stool passing frequency (χ²=7.801, P=0.020), and shorter crying duration (χ²=16.922, P=0.000). Satisfaction scores were significantly higher in the experimental group overall (T=16.516, P=0.000) and across six domains of newborn care: thermal care (T=2.6, P=0.011), breastfeeding support (T=7.18, P=0.000), nurturing care (T=5.73, P=0.000), infection prevention (T=10.88, P=0.000), recognition and response to danger signs (T=8.13, P=0.000), and general aspects (T=11.91, P=0.000), highlighting the effectiveness of Assisted Virtual Care. The thematic analysis concluded that mothers in the experimental group who received Assisted Virtual Care (AVC) were more satisfied with the guidance and support provided across all aspects of newborn care compared to the control group. The personalized and comprehensive care delivered by the AVC provider significantly contributed to the mothers' confidence and satisfaction in caring for their newborns, highlighting the effectiveness of assisted virtual care in enhancing newborn care practices. The study underscores that Assisted Virtual Care (AVC) proves to be a highly effective approach in delivering comprehensive support, ensuring cost-efficient care, creating a stress-free environment, and enhancing care outcomes for both mothers and their new-borns.