The participation of parents in the care of premature children in a neonatal unit: meanings attributed by the health team

Abstract

This qualitative study aims to identify and analyze the meanings the health team attributes to the parents' participation in the care of premature children hospitalized at a public hospital. Data were recorded and collected through semi-structured interviews performed with 23 professionals. The results show that parents' participation in the care of these children is still in an initial stage at the hospital's neonatal unit. However, there is interest from the health team to implement it because its importance is recognized in improving the clinical stability, the growth and development process of premature children. In addition to allowing for mother-child interaction and affective bonding, it prepares the mother for the child's discharge. The presence of the mother helps the nursing team by giving maternal care to the hospitalized child. On the other hand, the parents' presence interferes in the environment of the neonatal unit. It affects the work dynamics and creates insecurity among team workers, who feel supervised. Besides, there is concern regarding hospital infection. Thus, in accordance with other studies from different countries, these meanings entail reflections on the need to base the premature care in terms of collectively building a care philosophy that restores concepts of human rights, citizenship, bonding and mother-child attachment, pediatric psychology and also expands the concept of training for a participative health education.