QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE NEONATE IN ICU: MOTHER-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS

Abstract

Birth dynamics usually occurs uneventfully even though it is considered a delicate, complex moment permeated by suffering due to organic and physiological changes that human beings are submitted. Such facts are related to quality of life, to mental and social welfare of the human being and depend on each subject, on each experienced event as well as individual values. Health professionals play an important role bringing about conditions to foster quality of life as such professionals, most of the time, must make decisions on course of actions as well as caring rendered to the individual which interfere in his routine, habits and consequently change reality and life conditions. This study objectifies the identification of quality of life indicators of the neonate in an ICU and set the differences between mother-child in ICU and her experience of having formenly normal delivered a child. It has been concluded that quality of life for a newborn in ICU means to have its mother beside it, providing tenderness, affection, lap, breastfeed, touch and look. Therefore, she must be allowed to stay with her child. It is also apprehended that quality of life for the neonate means to be taken care by its mother as well as by health professionals.

Keywords

• Quality of life
• Neonate
• Mother-child relationships
• Intensive Care Unit