Assistência dos profissionais de saúde brasileiros no incentivo ao aleitamento materno: um estudo de revisão integrativa

Abstract

The Breastfeeding is the first human food and has numerous benefits both in the biophysiological scope and in the psychological, sociological and economic aspects that involve the practice of breastfeeding (BF). Despite advances in relation to the promotion, support and protection of BF, some declines still persist and which may also be related to the work of health professionals, covering personal, training, cultural, institutional and similar difficulties. In this sense, the objective of the study was to investigate how Brazilian health professionals have configured their actions to encourage breastfeeding. To carry out the integrative review, searches were conducted in the online databases MEDLINE, LILACS and SciELO, using the descriptors “breastfeeding”, “health professionals” and “health care” combined by the Boolean operator AND, during the months of June and July 2021. After conducting the searches and applications, the final sample consisted of 15 works. Through content analysis, three thematic categories emerged: “Factors of professional practice that promote breastfeeding”; “Factors in professional practice that are unfavorable to the promotion of breastfeeding” and “Strategies for maintaining BF”. The data showed that for professionals, support and protection for breastfeeding were associated with effective support through theoretical and practical knowledge, with assistance, training and counseling. On the other hand, the difficulties regarding updates on the subject, the lack of knowledge of important policies, regulations and the lack of interprofessionality were some of the aggravating factors listed for the failure of breastfeeding. Also according to the professionals, viable alternatives to minimize such effects include the adoption of collaborative behaviors and investment in training, in addition to structural changes in the model of maternal and child health care. It is observed that the issue of breastfeeding is complex and involves multifactorial nuances for its promotion and disadvantage. Thus, it is expected that the present research will improve the knowledge and reflections of health professionals and the scientific community on the subject, with a view to understanding the challenges and effective attitudes to face them.