Mothers’ perception of the care of newborn in the home environment

TL;DR

This study explores how mothers in southern Brazil perceive caring for newborns at home, highlighting the need for personalized and supportive care approaches.

Contribution

The study introduces a complexity thinking perspective to understand the adaptive processes of mothers caring for newborns at home.

Findings

Mothers experience a complex adaptive process while caring for newborns at home.

Support networks are crucial for managing the challenges of newborn care in the home environment.

Health professionals should consider the unique personal, family, and social contexts of each mother.

Abstract

to identify mothers’ perceptions about caring for newborns in the home environment, from the perspective of complexity thinking.

qualitative, exploratory and descriptive research, carried out between November/2022 and February/2023. Data were collected through individual interviews with 21 mothers from southern Brazil who cared for newborns at home and analyzed using the thematic analysis technique.

the four thematic axes resulting from the data analysis: Living amidst order and disorder; embracing singularities; dealing with the certain and the uncertain; support network in the (re)organizing process demonstrate that the mother caring for a newborn in their home environment experiences a distinct and plural adaptive process, which must be welcomed and understood by health professionals who work within the family environment.

the care of newborns in a home environment, in the perception of mothers, requires differentiated attention and a formal or informal support network that considers the unique specificities of each woman/mother in the personal, family and social spheres. Therefore, in addition to the social support network, it is important to rethink home intervention approaches.