Cultural practices of the newborn's first bath in the maternity ward: an ethnographic study

Abstract

The present study aims to describe the cultural practices of the first bath of the newborn performed by the nursing staff in the rooming and discuss how these practices influence maternal care. This is a qualitative research, with ethnographic approach, with 21 nursing professionals. Data were collected using field diary, participant observation and semi-structured interviews. The thematic categories were: The biological dimension of the bath and the institutionalized bath in the maternity ward. The results showed that valuing family culture within a hospital routine brings it closer to the nursing team, combining popular and scientific knowledge, deconstructing the biomedical paradigm. The humanization of care presupposes meeting between subjects who share knowledge, power and lived experience, implying political, administrative, and subjective transformations.