O comportamento Paterno em Enfermarias de Maternidades nas Primeiras Horas de Vida do Bebê

Abstract

In this study the behavior of fathers was filmed during their visit to the infirmary of a public health system maternity. The interest was on their interaction with the mother, the infant and other visitor. The observations suggest that the behavior of fathers differs from that of other visitors and that their behavior appears to be more of physical protection of the infant and the mother. Though fathers vocalized little and had few physical contacts with the infants, their presence appears to facilitate the occurrence of nursing. Looking at the infant was the predominant behavior exhibited by the fathers, which might the communication channel that leads to the increase disposition of nursing on the part of the mothers and this should be further studied. The social network that allows the father to approach the infant early in life might be an important requisite for the establishment of father-infant and mother-infant attachment. The importance and function of this early interaction between the father and the mother-infant dyad warrants long terms studies, including various settings since the maternity infirmary conditions is artificial and greatly characterized as a female domain. Important leads were obtained from the dataset analyzed.