Mothers' perceptions of the practice of kangaroo mother care for preterm neonates in sub-Saharan Africa: a qualitative systematic review protocol.

Objective: The objective of this review is to explore the experiences of mothers with the practice of kangaroo mother care (KMC) for preterm neonates at home in sub-Saharan Africa.

Introduction: About 7000 newborn babies die every day around the world. About 80% of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. Preterm birth and low birth weight (LBW) are major causes of newborn deaths in these regions. Kangaroo mother care is an alternative way to care for LBW preterm neonates; however, the rate of practice remains low. Studies have identified a range of barriers, primarily at the healthcare system level, but there is a dearth of evidence on the factors and enablers at the community level.

Inclusion criteria: The review will consider studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa on the perceptions and experiences of mothers who have given birth to preterm babies and have practiced KMC at home. Qualitative studies in English and French conducted from January 1979 to the present that exclusively use qualitative research methods including, but not limited to, phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research and feminist research will be included.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, African Index Medicus (AIM), Academic Search Complete, CINAHL complete, Education Source and Health source: Nursing/Academic Edition will be searched. Eligible studies will be critically appraised using the standardized Joanna Briggs Institute tool. Findings will be pooled using the meta-aggregative approach, and confidence will be assessed according to the ConQual approach.