The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional research methodology to evaluate the extent of social support among postnatal moms of preterm infants.

The investigation was carried out in a postnatal ward at a selected hospital in Mangalore. Postnatal mothers of premature babies admitted to the NICU, willingness to participate, marital status, and absence of physical disease are among the inclusion criteria. Preterm newborns with congenital abnormalities and other disorders, postpartum mothers with substance misuse issues and mental illness, and mothers who had gone through a personal or family crisis in the preceding six months are among the exclusion criteria. Using the percentage of social support level as a referral to the other study, a sample size of 75 was established.

A demographic questionnaire was created to gather participant data including maternal age, religion, educational attainment, occupation, and monthly family income, mode of delivery, completed months of pregnancy, history of still birth, number of livebirths, number of admissions in days, type of family, previous history of preterm delivery, gender, birth weight and birth order of baby.

Social support was assessed by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). It is a measurement tool used to assess an individual's perception of support from various social sources. The MSPSS, created by Zimet et al in 1988, is a concise and direct scale consisting of 12 items. Its purpose is to subjectively evaluate the adequacy of perceived assistance. The measure comprises three subscales, each consisting of four items that are assessed on a 7-point Likert-type scale. The subscales consist of three categories: family (items 3, 4, 8, and 11), friends (items 6, 7, 9, and 12), and important people, such as spouses (items 1, 2, 5, and 10). The total score is calculated by adding up all of the subscale scores. The possible range for the total score is from 12 to 84. Grading of the score was calculated by a method of arbitrary classification. Where 12-36 indicates low perceived support, 36-60 indicates medium support and 60-84 indicates that high support level.

When post-natal mothers were present in ward, their comfort is ensured through the use of general inquiries regarding the infant and her well-being. The researcher provided an introduction and clearly explained the goal of the study, as well as the overall length required to complete the questionnaires, to the woman. Written consent was obtained using the traditional pen and paper method. Each participant took an average of 10-15 minutes to complete all the questionnaires. The researcher then evaluated the gathered forms to ensure they were complete. If any incomplete items were identified, the participants were promptly approached to provide the necessary information for those items.

Approval was received from the Institutional Ethical Committee. The DCIG Registration Number is EC/NEW/INST/2020/741.

Statistical analysis of the data was done using SPSS 23.0. The sociodemographic features of postnatal women were described using descriptive statistics, such as frequency percentages. The level of social support in each area was described using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and mean percentage. The item-wise analysis of social support was described using the mean, standard deviation, and mean percentage. To determine the association between the level of social support and socio-demographic characteristics using Fisher's exact test.

The baseline proforma of the participants showed that the highest percentage (48%) of mothers were between the ages of 25 and 30 years, while the least percentage (5.3%) were between the ages of 35 and 40 years. The highest percentage (44%) of mothers were Hindus, whereas the least percentage (20%) were Christians. The highest percentage (45.3) of mothers were graduates. The highest percentage (25.3%) of the mothers were unemployed, whereas the least percentage (2.7%) of mothers were technicians or associated professionals. The least percentage (20%) of the mother’s family had an average monthly income of Rs. 22,001-37000. The highest percentage (58.7%) of mothers had a normal vaginal delivery, while least of them (2.7%) instrumental delivery. The highest (57.3%) percentage of mothers completed a total duration of 34 weeks - 37 weeks of pregnancy and the least percentage (10.7%) had completed <30 weeks. The majority (96%) of the mothers had no previous experience of stillbirth, while the least percentage (4%) had a history of stillbirth. The highest (56%) percentage of mothers had 1-2 live births whereas the least (1.3%) had more than 4 livebirths. The majority (72%) of mothers were admitted for more than 15 days whereas the least (28%) were admitted for less than 15 days. Highest (50.7% & 49.3%) percentage of mothers were from nuclear and joint families. The majority (76%) of the mothers had no history of previous preterm delivery whereas the least (24%) percentage of the mothers were had a history of previous preterm delivery. The highest (53.3%) percentage of the mothers delivered female babies. The highest (54.7%) percentage of babies’ birth weight was more than1800 grams whereas the least (8%) percentage had birthweight less than 1200 grams. The highest (48%) percentage of the babies’ birth order was third and the least (2.7%) were fourth and above birth order (Table 1, Table 2).

The level of social support among post-natal mothers of preterm infants shows that the majority 64 (85.3%) of post-natal mothers had high social support, 11 (14.7%) had medium social support and none had low social support (Table 3).

The area-wise analysis indicates the majority of respondents reported high levels of social support from friends (73.9%), family (79.6%), and significant others (79.6%), which demonstrates that friends, family, and significant others provided postnatal mothers of preterm infants with a high level of social support (Figure 1, Table 4).

The item-wise analysis shows that the majority of the samples had higher social support. The mean percentage was highest for the item “my family really tries to help me” (84%), “I have a special person who is a real source of comfort to me” (82.1%), “there is a special person with whom I can share joys and sorrows” (80.4%). Similar findings are also observed for the item “I can talk about my problems with my family” (79.6%), “I get the emotional help and support I need from my family” (79.2%), “There is a special person who is around when I am in need” (78.3%), “There is a special person in my life who cares about my feelings” (77.5%), “My family is willing to help me make decisions” (75.6%), “I can talk about my problems with my friends” (74.7%), “I have friends with whom I can share my joys and sorrows” (74.5%), “My friends really try to help me” (73.3%) and for “I can count on my friends when things go wrong” (73.1%) (Figure 2, Table 5).

There is a significant association between social support and the religion (p 0.044) and type of family (p 0.028) and no significance with rest of the variables. Hence, hypothesis H1 stated there will be a significant association between basic demographic characteristics and level of perceived social support were partly accepted at 0.05 level (Table 6, Table 7).

Perceived social support is known to protect a woman’s mental health against physical and psychological disturbances associated with the postpartum period. This study aimed to evaluate the level of perceived social support among mothers who have given birth to preterm infants. The primary sources of social support in this study were family members, friends, and significant others. In the present study Majority 64 (85.3%) of post-natal mothers were had high social support, 11 (14.7%) were had medium social support and none had low social support. Also, In the study area wise analysis showed a mothers received higher level of perceived social support from all three areas like family, friends, and significant others (79.6%,73.9%,79.6%) respectively and also, we found that significant association between type of family and religion with the level of social support. This could be because of the fact that in the Indian culture, most of the life partner gives total support throughout the life, even parents and grandparents and other family members support the mother too. A woman who receives substantial social support during the postpartum period experiences less fatigue, increased personal time, enhanced bonding with the baby, improved postpartum functional state, and greater ease in adapting to her physical and psychological demands, as well as to parenting. 13 Other similar study conducted by Nabanita Chandra, Moonjelly Vijayan Smitha in two immunization clinic centres in Bhubaneswar, Odisha found that postnatal women of eastern India (70%) had a high level of perceived social support. 14 Overall, this study suggests that at present generation there is high level of social support to postnatal mothers of preterm infants especially from family, friends and significant others.

The perceived social support from family, friends and significant others plays a crucial role in the wellbeing of postnatal mothers, particularly those with preterm babies. A higher level of perceived support typically correlates with better maternal mental health, lower levels of stress and increased confidence in caregiving abilities. Mothers who perceive strong support from their social network often report feeling more capable of coping with the challenges of caring for a preterm baby. On the other hand, mothers with moderate levels of perceived social support may still benefit from some positive outcomes, though to a lesser extent. They may experience greater fluctuations in stress levels and emotional well-being compared to those with higher levels of support. Overall, fostering a supportive environment, including support from family, friends, and significant others, is crucial for the well-being of postnatal mothers of preterm babies. Health professionals and support networks should work together to ensure that mothers receive adequate support tailored to their individual needs, which may vary based on the level of perceived support they experience.