Adolescent fathers: knowledge of and involvement in the breast feeding process in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: to understand the ways in which adolescent fathers participate in the breast feeding process in the family environment in North-eastern Brazil. METHODS: a descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study was undertaken involving 10 couples with infants aged 6-8 months living in a single community in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with questions to guide the interviewer. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis, and interpreted under the theoretical reference of being an adolescent father within the context of breast feeding. FINDINGS: from the data collected, three themes were identified: knowledge of the benefits of breast feeding for the child's health; discontinued participation of the father in breast feeding during the pregnancy-childbearing cycle; and exclusion of the adolescent father from the breast feeding process. The adolescent fathers knew about the benefits of breast feeding in terms of the child's health, but did not mention benefits for the mother, the family or society. For some adolescent fathers, their participation in the breast feeding process started during pregnancy, whereas for others, it was only initiated after the infant was born. One of the fathers was prevented, by his wife and mother-in-law, from participating in the breast feeding process. CONCLUSIONS: the involvement of adolescent fathers in the breast feeding process oscillated during the pregnancy-childbearing cycle. This may be due to the patriarchal cultural heritage, Brazilian paternity laws, and the fact that these fathers were adolescents. This study showed that adolescent parents were knowledgeable about breast feeding. Finally, fathers want a new model of parenting in which the man participates in child care.

[Prevalence of nasal septum injury in premature infants using nasal prongs]. / Prevalência de lesão do septo nasal em prematuros no uso de prongas nasais.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with nasal septum injury in preterm infants in the use of noninvasive ventilation. A cross-sectional study with data collection between March and July 2012 and with search for records, interviews with mothers and nasal evaluation of 47 premature in the neonatal unit of a teaching hospital in Recife, Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. A descriptive bivariate statistical analysis was performed through the chi-square test or Fisher exact test using the SPSS software. The prevalence of nasal lesions was 68.1%, associated with low birth weight and duration of treatment. The prevalence of nasal injury in this population is high and associated with low birth weight and length of stay in noninvasive ventilation. Due to these facts the necessity for preventive actions was noticed, such as continuous care in nursing, suitability of devices and permanent education in service.

[Assessment of the implementation of an educational intervention on developmental surveillance with nurses]. / Avaliação da implementação de uma intervenção educativa em vigilância do desenvolvimento infantil com enfermeiros.

The objective of this study was to assess the difficulties experienced by Family Health Strategy nurses in implementing an educational intervention regarding developmental surveillance. A qualitative approach was used with the assistance of eleven nurses, who participated in developmental surveillance workshops in the context of Integrated Management of Childhood Illness. Data were collected from May to June 2009 and were analyzed on the basis of content analysis methodology, using the theme modality. Four thematic nuclei were identified: evaluation of the training course regarding developmental surveillance; difficult areas which hinder the application of the acquired knowledge; facilitating points provided by the course, and practice transformation based on the knowledge acquired during the training course. The study highlighted the urgency of incorporating contents that give priority to questions concerning the infants' developmental surveillance in undergraduate nursing education, as well as in the family health internship.