Caracterização das mulheres assistidas em um banco de leite humano: subsídios para qualificação da assistência

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Breastfeeding is essential in reducing infant morbidity and mortality, protecting against infections and diseases (Hamer et al, 2022). In Brazil, there are Human Milk Banks, which, in addition to processing human milk, provide assistance to mothers who face difficulties in breastfeeding (Brasil, 2024a). Therefore, it is crucial to improve the quality of health services, and periodic evaluation contributes to more informed management decisions, ensuring better support for maternal and child health (Fogliano et al., 2020). The study sought to understand the reality and identify obstacles to improve professional practice, promoting, supporting, and protecting breastfeeding. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the women who sought care at the HMB of a reference Maternity Hospital in Ceará. METHODS: Quantitative exploratory study, with a cross-sectional design, of the retrospective documentary type, developed from primary data obtained through the analysis of 350 service records from a BLH in the year 2023. RESULTS: They demonstrated that the majority of the public were women of childbearing age, who lived near the service, had no previous experience with breastfeeding, their children were born at term, had skin-to-skin contact and did not breastfeed in the first hour of life, births were more prevalent in the private network and the type of delivery was cesarean section. Difficulty in breastfeeding was the most reported complaint in the records and position and latch training was the most performed procedure. During the analysis of the service records, most were complete, however, gaps were identified in the filling out of important data, which did not compromise the research, but deserves attention. In view of the above, the findings of this research show alignment between the results and the practices adopted with the scientific literature, highlighting the relevance of these interventions for the success of breastfeeding. CONCLUSION: Thus, the research highlights the need to improve service records, as it is crucial to understand the services and challenges faced, offering support to improve breastfeeding practices. Therefore, the results can contribute to the advancement of public policies on maternal and child health.