Practices of newborn care: perceptions of kaingang families

Abstract

Considering the importance of knowing the habits of care to the newborn, this study aimed to analyze care practices of newborn from the perception of indigenous women. It is a qualitative study with the methodological framework founded on the ethnography carried out with 30 women from Kaingang ethnic group on the indigenous territory of Faxinal de Catanduva, Parana, Brazil. Data were collected from participant observation and interviews in the period from November 2010 to March 2011, and were analyzed in the light of Madeleine Leininger referential. Practices that were more frequent in the care of newborns were those related to bathing, cleaning the umbilical stump and breastfeeding. The hypothesis of discrimination due to ethnicity by health professionals was also mentioned, especially when referring to the bath in the hospital. It was concluded that the nursing staff must use strategies which respect the traditional knowledge in order to negotiate the practices that require adjustments so as ensure the preservation of individual’s health. Thus, the results of this study may subsidize health staff to have a different view on the newborn’s family, revealing their difficulties, as well as their care needs.