Aim: to understand the experience of Fathers caring for their premature newborn child in the Kangaroo Method. Method: This is an exploratory, descriptive study that uses a qualitative approach developed at the Maternity School Januário Cicco, located in Natal, RN, Brazil. Men who are accompanying their child at the Kangaroo Unit will participate in the study. Data collection will take place through a semi-structured interview. The answers obtained will be worked in accordance with the Theory Grounded in the Data and analyzed in light of the principles of Symbolic Interactionism. Expected results: the study aims to know fathers’ experience of before the practice of the Kangaroo Method, with a view to outlining Nursing actions that will support the assistance to fathers in the care of their premature child, in addition to increasing the knowledge of the health team on the care for men and the strengthening of the bond of the father-son dyad.
Descriptors: Paternity; Infant, Premature; Kangaroo-Mother Care Method; Neonatal Nursing.
Prematurity is a problem today, not only due to the associated mortality rates, but also to possible sequel in the newborn (NB) and repercussions in the family context. Globally about 20 million premature children are born and of these, a third do not reach one year of life. Given the high number of neonatal deaths, maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality over the years, the Brazilian Ministry of Health has been implementing measures aimed at reducing these indices. Among these, the Stork Network was implemented in 2012, in whose context the Kangaroo Method presents itself as a humanized care strategy that increases the life chances of premature newborns(1).
Thus, the Kangaroo Method consists of an early skin-to-skin contact technique of the baby with his mother or father, with the prospect of providing benefits to the father, mother and baby triad. During skin-to-skin contact, the NB is wrapped by bands and placed in ventral contact dressed only in a diaper, cap and socks, positioned upright in the chest between the breasts of those who intend to participate in the method(2).
Although the Kangaroo Method was originally practiced by women, it is observed that parents are increasingly present, and have sought to experience these moments with the child. In the case of premature newborns, a study shows that the father may present contradictory emotions, such as escape from reality and joy of daily approach to the child in the hospital environment(3). Given this context, it is necessary to strengthen this bond between the father and his premature child through the follow-up and guidance of the multiprofessional team in all phases of the Kangaroo Method.
How do Fathers experience the Kangaroo Method in caring for their preterm children at the Kangaroo Unit? It is understood that the answer to this questioning will bring social repercussions concerning the health of the neonates, since there will be revelations that will guide strategies related to the father in the Kangaroo Method.
The goal is to understand the experience of fathers in caring for their NB premature infants in the Kangaroo Method.
This is an exploratory descriptive study that uses a qualitative approach, developed at the Maternity School Januário Cicco, located in the city of Natal, RN, Brazil. It is estimated that 20 men will be interviewed obeying the saturation criteria, as observed in qualitative studies already developed. The research will have the participation of men who are accompanying their child in the Kangaroo Intermediate Care Unit (Unidade de Cuidados Intermediário Canguru – UCINCa). Participants will be selected according to the following inclusion criteria: parents must be over 18 years of age, have preterm children in the UCINCa, be performing the Kangaroo Method and be willing to participate in the research. The parents of premature infants, that is, less than 1,000 grams and/or congenital malformation, will be excluded from the study.
The project in question was submitted to the Ethics and Research Committee (CEP) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, with CAAE in 62020016.1.0000.5537, in accordance with Resolution 466/12. Data collection will begin at the Januário Cicco Maternity School from February to July 2017. The data will be worked in accordance with the Theory Based on Data and analyzed in light of the principles of Symbolic Interactionism, and the discussion will be based on the literary findings.
Based on the understanding of the experience of fathers in the Kangaroo Method, it is intended to know the paternal particularities in carrying out such practice and to provide support so that the Nursing team can extend assistance to fathers who care for the premature child. In addition, it is understood that the encouragement of male participation will benefit the whole family, as well as it will strengthen the bond of the father, mother and child triad. It is also worth noting that the study will support research on the subject, in view of the expanded knowledge of health professionals on the presence of the father in the care of premature newborns, which will contribute to the implementation of public policies in maternal health’s and men’s field.
All authors participated in the phases of this publication in one or more of the following steps, in according to the recommendations of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE, 2013): (a) substantial involvement in the planning or preparation of the manuscript or in the collection, analysis or interpretation of data; (b) preparation of the manuscript or conducting critical revision of intellectual content; (c) approval of the version submitted of this manuscript. All authors declare for the appropriate purposes that the responsibilities related to all aspects of the manuscript submitted to OBJN are yours. They ensure that issues related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the article were properly investigated and resolved. Therefore, they exempt the OBJN of any participation whatsoever in any imbroglios concerning the content under consideration. All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest of financial or personal nature concerning this manuscript which may influence the writing and/or interpretation of the findings. This statement has been digitally signed by all authors as recommended by the ICMJE, whose model is available in http://www.objnursing.uff.br/normas/DUDE_eng_13-06-2013.pdf
Received: 12/29/2016 Revised: 08/13/2018 Approved: 08/21/2018