RECÉM-NASCIDO EM UMA UNIDADE DE INTERNAÇÃO NEONATAL: CRENÇAS E SENTIMENTOS MATERNOS

This is a descriptive exploratory study, qualitative approach, aiming to: know the meaning of the Neonatal Care Unit - NCU setting for mothers of newborns and identify their beliefs and feelings towards their children admitted to a Neonatal Care Unit. It was carried out in the Neonatal Care Unit of a large public hospital in Fortaleza, Ceara State/ Brazil. The subjects were 11 mothers of newborns hospitalized in the Neonatal Care Unit of the aforementioned hospital. Data were collected in August and September/2005 by means of a semi-structured interview. In the data analysis, the following categories were identified: neonatal care unit, feeling concerning their children’s hospitalization in the Neonatal Care Unit, received guidance x technological apparatus and reception in the Neonatal Care Unit. It was concluded that: the lack of information about the baby’s health condition, procedures and devices present in the Neonatal Care Unit may cause the mother’s detachment from the unit and, consequently, from her child.