Abstract

CASTRO, Claudia; CEPEDA, Carmita; FLOREZ, Vanessa  and  VASQUEZ, Martha Lucía. Newborn care in the Guambian culture: a view from the worldview of mothers. av.enferm. [online]. 2014, vol.32, n.1, pp.114-123. ISSN 0121-4500.  https://doi.org/10.15446/av.enferm.v32n1.46069.

Introduction: The divergence between the culture of Guambian mothers with children hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit and the culture of the nursing professionals there opens a gap between cultural knowledge and scientific knowledge, which can keep the mothers from actively participating in the newborn's basic care, in part, because this is an environment foreign to their culture. This asymmetry between cultural and scientific knowledge can favor the increase of morbidity and the rate of newborn readmissions. Objective: To describe practices and beliefs on basic care of newborns offered by Guambian mothers, whose children were hospitalized in a NICU and submit a proposal for the different modes of action based on cultural care theory. Method: Qualitative study of focal groups with the participation of Guambian mothers who spoke Spanish, were older than 18 years of age and whose newborns were hospitalized in a NICU. Results: Three categories emerged: the cold/warm relationship in newborn care, breastfeeding as complete nutrition in the child's health; ombligada (naveling), a way to favor the permanent link with the mother; and the enchumbada (wrapping), which is allegedly a way of strengthening the child's bones. Final considerations: It is the responsibility of caretakers to acquire the cultural skills to provide care that is consistent with the culture. Lack of respect for the culture and lack of congruency in care not only attacks the dignity of those individuals who do not share our points of view, but drives them away from healthcare services; thus, increasing the gap between the cultures.

Keywords : Child Care; Transcultural Nursing; Nursing Care; Ethnicity and Health.

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