Repercussão da telessaúde no apoio à amamentação

Abstract

Breast milk is considered the gold standard of nutrition. Breastfeeding consists of offering breast milk to the infant regardless of receiving other types of food, and exclusive breastfeeding occurs when the child receives only breast milk until 6 months of age. Considering the potential communication and elucidation capacity of telehealth, the present study aims to evaluate the impact of telehealth in supporting breastfeeding. This is a quantitative and qualitative descriptive study, in which postpartum patients and their babies were selected for the study, whose birth occurred in the maternity hospital of Hospital Universitário Lauro Wanderley, in the city of João Pessoa - Paraíba, during the period from october 2024 to the second week of april 2025. 30 postpartum women were recruited, but only 11 were included in the research because they participated in all stages. The collection was done through the application of 2 questionnaires, where personal data, access to technology and main complaints were collected; socioeconomic and clinical data; knowledge about breastfeeding; breastfeeding status and satisfaction with the teleconsultation. Of the 11 participants, 64% were between 20 and 30 years old and 100% had a home with internet access and devices with internet access. 55% had completed high school, family income of up to one minimum wage, were married; 73% lived in urban areas and 91% were from the city of João Pessoa. Regarding the mother's clinical data, 37% presented a pre-gestational nutritional status of overweight and 27% of obesity, 73% had a cesarean section, 55% were primiparous, 100% had 6 or more prenatal consultations and more than 50% reported an intention to breastfeed for 6 months or more. Regarding the newborns' clinical data, 64% were girls and 36% were boys, 91% had adequate weight for age, 82% had adequate length and head circumference for age. Regarding knowledge about breastfeeding, more than half of the mothers had satisfactory knowledge. Analyzing teleconsultation data, 82% continued to breastfeed, 18% of babies used pacifiers and bottles, 90% had complaints and questions about breastfeeding and child health, 100% considered the guidance to be of good quality, life-making, and would recommend it to other mothers, and 91% were satisfied with the teleconsultation. Therefore, it can be concluded that telehealth had a positive impact, constituting a new strategy for access to health care regarding breastfeeding consultancy, allowing for post-discharge monitoring, which contributes to the promotion, protection, and support of breastfeeding.