Participação do pai no processo da amamentação: vivências, conhecimentos, comportamentos e sentimentos

Abstract

Objective: To identify the experiences, knowledge, behaviors and emotions of fathers with relation to the process of breastfeeding.Methods: This is a descriptive, explorative and qualitative study involving 17 couples resident in a favela in the city of Recife, PE, in the Northeast of Brazil, whose most recent child was aged between 6 and 8 months. A semi-structured interview employing leading questions was used for data collection. These data were analyzed in the light of theoretical references, the historical, social and cultural construction of fatherhood, by means of thematic content analysis.Results: Four themes emerged from this analysis: faint/ambiguous memories of breastfeeding during childhood; knowledge about breastfeeding is focused on the child's health, mother's responsibility and savings for father; breastfeeding-related behavior of father during his participation in the pregnancy-childcare cycle; and interconnected feelings of fragility when breastfeeding. Conclusions:The knowledge and emotions involved in fathers' participation in breastfeeding are the products of socialization of both men and women, centered on the biological body and reinforcing the belief that breastfeeding is the preserve of women.J Pediatr (Rio J). 2008;84(4):357-364: Breastfeeding, fatherhood, emotions, delivery.

Desnutrição em crianças menores de 60 meses em dois municípios no Estado do Acre: prevalência e fatores associados

“…In addition, this author evidenced that mothers allocated more resources to buy foods than fathers. Likewise, couples living in the Northeast region of Brazil also indicated that fathers are responsible for the family's economic issues, whereas food care is attributed to mothers 20 . Considering these circumstances, the fact that the biological mother does not live in the home, as observed in the present study, indicates a vulnerable situation involving the child's inadequate nutritional status.…”

O ato de amamentar: um estudo qualitativo

“…Essa introdução diminui a proteção do leite materno contra processos infecciosos, assim como a duração do aleitamento materno (MASCARENHAS et al, 2006). O marido exerce influência positiva na prática do aleitamento materno (PONTES et al, 2008), pois a mulher leva em consideração o que os maridos ou parceiros dizem, e assim motivam e encorajam-nas a amamentar.…”

Breastfeeding promotion and support strategies based on Paulo Freire's epistemological categories

“…Grandmothers also have an important role in supporting and encouraging breastfeeding when they consider breast milk an essential food for the health and development of the baby. Nonetheless, grandmothers often lead breastfeeding women to doubt that breast milk is capable of meeting all the nutritional needs of the child 16,17 .…”