Family member’s perception on the humanized bath: japanese technique for newborns

Abstract

Objective: To study the perception of family members about the experience of using the humanized bath, a Japanese technique for newborns (NB). Materials and Methods: This is an exploratory research with a qualitative approach, motivated by the following question: what is the perception of family members about the experience of using the humanized bath - Japanese technique for newborns? All data were collected between may and june of 2011. The methodology involved an interview with just one question, applied to the participants during the day they realized the procedure at the hospital, along with an observation script. We also conducted another interview, with three questions, during a home visit, ten days after participants were discharged from hospital. Results: The results show that family members are satisfied with the new bath technique. The NB remained calm and quiet, showing the benefits of the humanized bath. Conclusion: It is essential that family members and health professionals accept new forms of more humane procedures for NB. This new technique allows the bath to keep the newborns calmer, with no crying during their execution. However, it was observed that for the effectiveness of this new bath technique, the NB should be well wrapped in swaddling clothes, in order to feel more protected.