<![CDATA[Background: Acute respiratory infection (ARI) particularly pneumonia, remain a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among toddlers globally and nationally. Hypoxemia is a life threatening complication of ARI that requires early, objective identification. Portable pulse oximeters provide a rapid, on-invasive method for oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring at home, yet parental operational skill is often inadequate. Purpose: To explore targeted educational interventions to optimize parental proficiency in early detection of respiratory distress among toddlers with ARI. Method: This quantitative quasi-experimental study utilized a one-group pretest-posttest design involving 40 parents of toddlers with ARI at Kampung Baru Public Health Center, Medan, in 2026, selected via total sampling. Practical skills were measured using an 11 item observation checklist before and after interactive demonstration training. Data were analyzed using univariate statistics and the bivariate non-parametric Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Results: Prior to intervention, 95.0%(n=38) of participants exhibited poor skills (mean score). The Wilcoxon test Z= -3.177 and p=<0.05. Conclusion: The demonstration method significantly optimizes parents’ skills in operating portable pulse oximeters for early hypoxemia detection in toddlers with ARI.]]>
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