Do leito à telessaúde: estudo piloto em um hospital universitário na promoção e apoio à amamentação

Abstract

Breastfeeding has substantial benefits to a mother and her child, which can be seen in the short term, as well as medium and long term. This should be an exclusive practice until the baby is 6 months old and complemented by the age of 2 or above. However, there are still gaps in postnatal care that need to be filled in hopes to be achieved, as there are well-known struggles and unsureness after hospital discharge that can lead to early weaning. In the meantime, the Information and Communication Technologies recently implemented at the Lauro Wanderley University Hospital (HULW), through Telehealth, can be a facilitating tool during this process, avoiding early weaning. Linked to protection, promotion and support strategies, the “Aleitar” extension project of the UFPB Department of Nutrition operates in sine qua non activities for the Baby and Woman Friendly Hospital Initiative, which provides support to the mother-child binomial. Thus, through a descriptive pilot study, with a qualitative approach, we sought to understand the functioning of the HULW telehealth service, in order to establish a descriptive script of the processes established to predispose a pioneering action for the use of HULW's digital platforms and thus being able to enable and consolidate virtual care to support, promote and protect breastfeeding, without the intention of establishing telehealth as a permanent activity. To this end, document analyses, forms and telephone consultations were carried out. The results of this first evidence revealed a high degree of satisfaction among participants in relation to the system used, but also brought to light the importance of making adjustments that aim to contribute even more to its proper functioning, and thus we aim to provide accessibility in terms of concerns breastfeeding consultancy, generating great contributions to transform not only the reality of the participants, but also of HULW, research, education and the culture of breastfeeding