Factors intervening in the childbirth experience: a mixed-methods study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the childbirth experience focusing on the intervening factors and on the delivery method. METHOD: A sequential and explanatory mixed-methods study guided by the World Health Organization document for positive childbirth experiences. The participants were puerperal women in a maternity teaching hospital from inland São Paulo (Brazil). The first quantitative stage involved descriptive analysis with Poisson regression of 265 answers to the "Termômetro da Iniciativa Hospital Amigo da Mulher e da Criança" ("Women- and Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Thermometer") questionnaire. The second stage, qualitative, thematically analyzed the interviews conducted with 44 puerperal women who took part in the first stage. Data integration was by connection. THE RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The analysis by connection showed that among the factors that restricted the positive experience, C-section was predominant (61.9%), understood as an option due to fear of pain, the treatment modality and previous traumas. Restrictions referring to the presence of a companion (99.6%), not having privacy (83%), disrespectful situations (69.5%), too many touches (56.9%) and the absence of skin-to-skin contact (55%), among others, potentiated fear, loneliness, concern, shame, the perception of disrespect and insecurity with the assistance provided. The promoting factors were as follows: choosing the companion (95.4%) for collaborating in the safety perception, not having infections (83.9%), having continuous team monitoring (82.2%) and pain relief methods (78.9%), which were valued by the women. CONCLUSION: The intervening factors that promoted positive experiences were related to clinical and protocol-related issues and to service availability. The restrictive factors were associated with excess interventions, deprivation of rights and of choice, absence of privacy and restriction referring to the presence of a companion. Women with a normal postpartum period felt more insecure and disrespected when compared to those subjected to C-sections, whose choices were considered, although they had lower prevalence of skin-to-skin contact. There is an urgent need to apprehend women's experiences and turn them into actions that guarantee their lives in a safe and respectful way.

[Longitudinality in childcare provided through Family Health Strategy]. / Longitudinalidade do cuidado à criança na Estratégia Saúde da Família.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the longitudinality attribute in childcare provided through the Family Health Strategy. METHOD: Quantitative survey performed with 344 caregivers of children below 10 years old, registered in the family health strategy of Distrito Sanitario III in João Pessoa, Paraiba. Data were collected from July to December, 2012, from the Brazil PCATool child version form and analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Among the aspects evaluated, it is highlighted that 89.5% of caregivers said they were consulted by the same professionals, and 81.9% felt good talking to the professional. The average score for the longitudinality component was satisfactory, with a 6.6 value. CONCLUSION: The health facilities assessed are guided towards the longitudinality attribute, however, the target mean score was exactly the cutoff value, implying the need for a thoughtful look at the improvement of the attribute in the care of children under ten years.

Biochemical predictors for metabolic syndrome in preterm infants according to weight ratio.

OBJECTIVE: Prematurity and low birth weight predispose preterm infants to cardiovascular disease in later life. Is the metabolic profile of these children impacted by the relation between birth weight and gestational age (GA)? This study aimed to evaluate whether the relationship between birth weight and GA of preterm infants has a positive correlation with the metabolic profile from birth to the sixth month of corrected age. METHODS: This is a longitudinal, prospective study with a cohort of 70 preterm and 54 term infants, who were enrolled in the study and shared into two groups: Appropriate for GA (AGA) and Small for GA (SGA), both classified at birth by Fenton and Kim curves. Longitudinal evaluation of anthropometry measures and blood samples of total cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides, and insulin were collected at birth, NICU discharge, and the sixth month of corrected age. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis (ANOVA, Fisher test, Shapiro-Wilk, and Cochran test). The effect size was 0.15, power was 0.92, and confidence interval 95%. RESULTS: No significant statistical differences were observed in relation to biochemical tests between AGA and SGA groups. However, a significant increase in triglyceride results above the reference values for age in the SGA group was observed throughout the follow-up. CONCLUSION: Changes observed in the preterm infant metabolic profile show no correlation with adequacy of birth weight. Preterm lipid profile requires continuous evaluation at follow-up, due to the increased cardiovascular risk in later life.

Glycemia and Lipidemia in Term Newborns Correlate With Maternal Metabolism.

The present study characterized the plasma glycemic and lipid profiles in full-term newborn babies at birth and correlated these variables with growth markers and maternal clinical and metabolic conditions, to observe if maternal pregnancy conditions can influence metabolic programming in these newborn babies. Anthropometric and biochemical data were collected from 162 mother/newborn binomials at birth and at 6 months at a public hospital in Western Paraná State, Brazil. Samples of blood tests for glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were obtained. Two classes of mothers/babies were statistically defined. The glycemic profiles in Class 1, at birth, were 63.0 ± 19.6 mg/dL and at 6 months 80.4 ± 10.6 mg/dL; in Class 2, at birth, they were 66.1 ± 20.8 mg/dL and at 6 months 78.2 ± 9.4 mg/dL. The triglycerides levels in Class 1 and Class 2, at birth, were 124.5 ± 47.8 mg/dL and 132.6 ± 60.2 mg/dL, respectively, and at 6 months they were 139.0 ± 51.5 mg/dL and 115.2 ± 39.9 mg/dL, respectively. Even though most of the pregnant women were overweight at the end of the gestation period, the anthropometric patterns found for babies followed the desirable standards. Furthermore, the average glycemic profile values were between the cutoff standards at birth and at 6 months; however, the triglycerides were above the expected values.