Complementary and integrative practices in women's health care: a strategy for the humanization of medical care at Sofia Feldman Hospital

uma estratégia de humanização da assistência no Hospital Sofia Feldman

Abstract

This retrospective study had three objectives: to characterize the population assisted by the Center for Integrative and Complementary Therapies at the Sofia Feldman Hospital. Belo Horizonte-MG; to identify the complementary and integrative practices most commonly used at the Center to promote women's health; and to learn about the users' impressions about such practices. The Center's records and the hospital women's patients register from July to November 2008 were used as instruments for data collection. The profile and impressions of 105 women were analyzed. Most of them were aged between 19 and 28 years (60.9%), 47.6% were brown skinned and had completed 9 to 11 years of formal education (59.0%), 55,2% were unmarried , 75.2% were Catholic and living in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte (40.0%). Most of the women were hospitalized for treatment of clinical problems during pregnancy (21.8%) and for delivery (64.4%). The complementary and integrative therapies most commonly used were music therapy (100%), aromatherapy (100%), a tea workshop (92.4%) and feet hot water treatment (91.4%). These practices produced satisfactory results that led to the relief of physical and psychological symptoms what suggests that their use contributes to support a more humane approach to obstetric assistance.