Percepção das puérperas acerca da importância do aleitamento materno.

Abstract

Breast milk is considered the ideal food for children in their first months of life, as it contains all the nutrients they need, protects against infections (passive transfer of antibodies from the mother to the child) and establishes an emotional link between those involved favoring the child's cognitive and emotional development, in addition to having implications for the mother's physical and mental health. The objective of this study is to investigate the perception of the puerperal women attended at the maternity hospital of the Regional Hospital of Cajazeiras on the importance of breastfeeding. It is an exploratory research, with a quantitative and qualitative approach, being carried out at Maternidade Dr. Deodato Cartaxo, which works at the Hospital Regional de Cajazeiras. The population consisted of all women who were hospitalized in the wards of the Maternidade Dr. Deodato Cartaxo, and were breastfeeding, in June 2010, the sample being chosen through an accidental non-probabilistic sampling, consisting of thirty mothers. As inclusion criteria, puerperal women were selected, regardless of age, education, type of delivery and number of pregnancies, who were exclusively breastfeeding, and puerperal women who were not breastfeeding for any reason were excluded from the sample. Data collection was performed by completing a structured questionnaire with nine objective questions. The results show that 80% of women consider that breast milk is sufficient to feed the child, 90% received guidance on how to breastfeed and care for the breasts during prenatal and postpartum, and 60% agree that placing the baby in the chest and the best way to stimulate milk production. For the rates of exclusive breastfeeding to improve more and more, it is necessary for there to be an effective participation of professionals who assist women, from the beginning of pregnancy, during prenatal care, to the Puerperium, in order to promote health education. ,enabling these people to know about the benefits of successful breastfeeding, as well as to clarify possible doubts, uncertainties and insecurities that may affect this group of people.