Popular knowledge in care of the newborn with focus on health promotion

Abstract

Object: verifying the influence of popular knowledge in the care of newborn, focusing on the promotion of child health. Methods: study with a qualitative approach, and was carried in public maternity hospital from Imperatriz-Maranhão, with 15 mothers of newborns. A questionnaire and semi-structured interview using thematic content analysis were used to collect data. Results: Three categories emerged: Knowledge used in the cleaning of the umbilical stump; Knowledge used to feed the newborn; Knowledge of practices used in daily care of the newborn; Knowledge used on diseases of the newborn. The reported knowledge and their influence on newborn care were prayers and blessings, herbal teas varied beliefs related to the care of umbilical stump, hiccups and sleep disorders. Conclusion: mothers do not rely heavily on the use of popular knowledge based practices, giving for credit to the guidelines given by the health professionals.