To review the history of rooming-in facilities for mother and child, and the changes in perinatal care. Method: Review of the literature and analysis of content from a historical point of view. Outcome: Until the beginning of this century, labor and birth were strictly domestic events under the responsibility of women. When hospitals began to offer new techniques, they became the place of choice to treat all kinds of patients. This new form of treatment confined patients in hospitals, away from their relatives and friends. Even newborn babies were to be left alone in nurseries, away from their mothers, to be protected against infections. In the late 40s, researchers correlated the mother-child separation at birth to some problems in family relations, and this led the way to a new research field. One of the resulting innovations was rooming-in facilities for mother and child. The objective of this project was to re-empower the mother with the care of her baby, but the project was later ended and only reborn in the 70s, when sponsored by WHO and UNICEF. Conclusions: Mother-child separation raises maternal insecurity, decreases breastfeeding and deprives the baby from maternal love and care. It has already been shown that children who are separated from their mothers at birth are more likely to be abandoned, hurt or abused. Thus, healthcare providers should be aware of such experience to promote the mental and psychological health of mothers, babies and their families.
MethodReview of the literature and analysis of content from a historical point of view. Outcome: Until the beginning of this century, labor and birth were strictly domestic events under the responsibility of women. When hospitals began to offer new techniques, they became the place of choice to treat all kinds of patients. This new form of treatment confined patients in hospitals, away from their relatives and friends. Even newborn babies were to be left alone in nurseries, away from their mothers, to be protected against infections. In the late 40s, researchers correlated the mother-child separation at birth to some problems in family relations, and this led the way to a new research field. One of the resulting innovations was rooming-in facilities for mother and child. The objective of this project was to re-empower the mother with the care of her baby, but the project was later ended and only reborn in the 70s, when sponsored by WHO and UNICEF. Conclusions: Mother-child separation raises maternal insecurity, decreases breastfeeding and deprives the baby from maternal love and care. It has already been shown that children who are separated from their mothers at birth are more likely to be abandoned, hurt or abused. Thus, healthcare providers should be aware of such experience to promote the mental and psychological health of mothers, babies and their families.
OutcomeUntil the beginning of this century, labor and birth were strictly domestic events under the responsibility of women. When hospitals began to offer new techniques, they became the place of choice to treat all kinds of patients. This new form of treatment confined patients in hospitals, away from their relatives and friends. Even newborn babies were to be left alone in nurseries, away from their mothers, to be protected against infections. In the late 40s, researchers correlated the mother-child separation at birth to some problems in family relations, and this led the way to a new research field. One of the resulting innovations was rooming-in facilities for mother and child. The objective of this project was to re-empower the mother with the care of her baby, but the project was later ended and only reborn in the 70s, when sponsored by WHO and UNICEF. Conclusions: Mother-child separation raises maternal insecurity, decreases breastfeeding and deprives the baby from maternal love and care. It has already been shown that children who are separated from their mothers at birth are more likely to be abandoned, hurt or abused. Thus, healthcare providers should be aware of such experience to promote the mental and psychological health of mothers, babies and their families.
ConclusionsMother-child separation raises maternal insecurity, decreases breastfeeding and deprives the baby from maternal love and care. It has already been shown that children who are separated from their mothers at birth are more likely to be abandoned, hurt or abused. Thus, healthcare providers should be aware of such experience to promote the mental and psychological health of mothers, babies and their families.
Fazer uma revisão sobre a trajetória do alojamento conjunto mãe-filho e as transformações no atendimento perinatal influenciadas pelos avanços da medicina.
MétodoEste foi um trabalho de pesquisa bibliográfica e análise de conteúdo a partir de uma perspectiva histórica.
ResultadosAté o início do século, o parto e o nascimento eram eventos domiciliares e de domínio das mulheres. Porém, a ascensão dos hospitais e as novas técnicas proporcionadas por eles tornaram-nos os locais de escolha para tratar qualquer tipo de paciente. Essa nova forma de atender os enfermos os retirava de seus lares e de perto de seus familiares, e até mesmo os recém-nascidos deveriam ficar longe de suas mães, confinados em berçários até a alta, para evitar qualquer tipo de infecção. Mas, no final da década de 40, pesquisadores foram alertados para o desajuste familiar advindo da separação mãe-filho logo após o nascimento e abriram caminho para um novo campo de pesquisa. Uma das formas encontradas para superar essa dificuldade foi a criação do alojamento conjunto mãe-filho que permitia que ambos permanecessem juntos desde o nascimento até a alta. Essa experiência tinha a intenção de devolver à mãe a possibilidade de cuidar ela mesma de seu filho, mas o projeto extinguiu-se e só foi ressuscitado na década de 70 com o apoio de organizações internacionais respeitadas como a OMS e o UNICEF.
ConclusãoSeparação mãe-filho logo após o nascimento desperta insegurança materna, dificulta o aleitamento e priva o bebê do carinho e cuidado de sua mãe. Já foi demonstrado que crianças separadas de suas mães logo após o nascimento são mais suscetíveis ao abandono, a sofrerem abusos e a serem vítimas de violência. Dessa forma, seria aconselhável que os profissionais de saúde estivessem conscientes da importância da saúde psicológica da mãe, do bebê e da família para evitar tal experiência.
