The NBO as relationships building tool in Brazil: the perspective of mothers and professionals

Magalhaes, L., Dittz, E., Guimaraes, M. A. P., Lindgren Alves, C.1.    

Presented at the 15th World Congress of WAIMH, Prague, June 2016.

Abstract

The Newborn Behavioral Observation (NBO) was introduced in a Brazilian hospital as the first step of a developmental follow up program for neonates biologically and/or socially at risk. Sofia Feldman´s Hospital, located in a socially disadvantaged neighborhood, is a model hospital that both implements and generates policies for the Brazilian Unified Health System. The NBO was introduced as the first step in a one year follow program designed to reduce parental stress and strength the relationship with the infant as a means to promote better developmental outcomes. Aims or Purpose of the project: To present the profile of Brazilian infants and discuss the perceptions of the mothers and professionals regarding the NBO. The NBO was conducted when the mothers were getting ready for discharge from the hospital, a period in which they stay at “Casa do Bebê” (Baby’s House), an intermediary facility set up as a house, where they wait for their babies´ weight gains, phototherapy or any other procedure that can be done outside the hospital. The Casa provides a shared environment in which the NBO was used to initiate a long-term relationship with the families, which will be followed for a year. Description of the project: Qualitative-quantitative research project in which over 125 NBO of preterm and full term infants were conducted by trained clinicians, most of them within 1 month of the delivery. These observations were scored and a profile of the infants will be presented. The mothers filled out the NBO Parent Questionnaire and in a number of observations a second trained clinician was present and, afterwards, interviewed the mothers concerning their perceptions and experience with the NBO. The clinicians involved with the NBO were also interviewed, concerning their perceptions of the usefulness of the NBO as a relationship- building tool.