Não é uma simples conversa: a percepção do neonatologista ao vínculo mãe-bebê

Abstract

Introduction: Based on the hypothesis that health professionals can promote the mother-baby attachment at the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), perceptions of neonatologists about their assistance are important to investigate because they can promote maternal health and infant development. Objective: Investigate perceptions of neonatologists about their assistance in order to discuss if they perceive their assistance as a toll to promote the infantmaternal attachment and child development. Method: Based on a descriptive qualitative design, the study was conducted with 16 neonatologists who worked at the NICU of Maternidade-escola of UFRJ from June 2016 to July 2016. All of them were interviewed and their verbal reports were analyzed based on Bardin methodology of content analysis using the followed categories: a) Importance of mother-baby attachment; b) Role of neonatologists; c) Attending the family; e d) Interferences to medical assistance. Results and Discussion: Our findings suggest that neonatologists showed different perceptions regarding the importance of mother-child attachment. They perceived the mother-child attachment is important to the child development. It was observed that neonatologists recognized that they must support the mother-baby attachment by clear information. In addition, they believed that their assistance should be minimize the family suffering. Even though their practice do not relate directly to the promoting mother-child attachment or child development, they accept that it has significant impact for both. Finally, they pointed out some factors that interfere in their assistance, like the aspects of institution and the characteristics of family and professional. Conclusion: We concluded that it is important to study the neonatologist perceptions and its repercussions for their assistance and the mother-infant attachment. All of this is important for the process of psychic constitution of premature infant, and can prevent negative outcomes to the child development.