Childbirth and birth assistance: a quantitative study

Abstract

This research, of quantitative nature, aimed to characterize the assistance offered to the binomial mother-baby in the childbirth and birth and to discuss if this assistance minimizes the risks to maternal and newborn health. The chosen scene was a public maternity, having as instruments of collection of data, the field observation and a structured interview with 50 women who had just given birth. The analysis revealed that the interviewed ones are in the age group between 15 and 38 years, 48% had incomplete basic education, 66% without employment bond and 60% with mate. In relation to the number of children, 94% of the women have between 1-3 children, 88% had prenatal attendance. In respect to the conducts implemented by the obstetric team, 68% of the women were submitted to the episiotomy, 60% of the childbirths had medicamentous intervention. The precocious contact mother/baby was stimulated. The speeches revealed that privacy was respected in 88% of the cases, besides the possibility of choosing an accompanying. However, others conducts as offering liquids taken by mouth, position option, and relaxation techniques were not offered to women. Though, in the lodging, breast feeding occurred in 96%, with correct suck in 88% of the cases, without abnormalities with mothers and babies. Concluding, although the assistance offered can’t be considered the ideal one, the research disclosed limits that have to be considered and modified by the health team, and showed the possibilities of safe human practices for the improvement of quality assistance to the binomial mother-baby.