Conhecimento das mães sobre os cuidados com o coto umbilical : cientificidade, crenças e práticas culturais no processo de cicatrização

Abstract

The care to umbilical cord stump is often associated with both the scientific knowledge as to family and cultural experience. With the knowledge of existing and available care practices to the umbilical stump, the health professionals have the ability to develop interventions in th e community to interfere in cases of cultural practices that are harmful to the newborn. The study aimed to identify the care practices with the umbilical cord stump of mothers attended at a Family Health Unit (HUF) of Sinop-MT. It was a descriptive exploratory research, of a qualitative approach. It was interviewed 15 women between 18 to 40 years old, mothers of newborns up to 28 days old (neonatal period), who underwent prenatal care at HUF in 2017 and were enrolled in the SIS prenatal. For data collection was used a guiding script. The instrument objective was to identify the knowledge about care practices with the umbilical cord stump concerning to the beliefs and cultural and scientific practices carried out during the mummification process. The script contained open and closed questions about hygiene and care of the umbilical stump. From testimonial analysis, it was provided four categories: Weaknesses in the care of the umbilical stump; Father's insertion in the newborn care; Traditional and popular beliefs in care practices with the umbilical stump; Scientificity in the umbilical stump care. The mothers unveiled feelings of anguish, fear, impotence, relief, joy, and satisfaction in front of umbilical stump care. This study allowed to develop a more sensitive listener about the families practices on care with the umbilical stump, making it possible to verify the frequent reports of appropriate practices, identifying the progress of interventions by health professionals in this community, encouraging the adoption of healthy habits, as the importance of applying alcohol 70%, keeping the umbilical stump dry, and performing hand hygiene before handling the stump.