Retinopathy of prematurity is one of the main causes of childhood blindness. Worldwide, there are more than 50,000 children blind due to retinopathy of prematurity. Visual impairment is a consequence of retinal detachment. It can be detected by serial ophthalmologic examination of infants at risk, and those identified with the severe form of the disease can be treated by laser or cryotherapy, which can decrease significantly the blindness due to ROP. The Brazilian Society of Pediatrics, Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology and Brazilian Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology suggest a guideline for the detection and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity in Brazil. This document was based on the results of the I Workshop of Retinopathy of Prematurity and presents the attributes for the implementation of an efficient diagnostic and treatment program.

Este estudo contextualiza a experiência brasileira na Atenção Humanizada ao Recém-Nascido de Baixo Peso-Método Canguru, resgatando aspectos ligados à origem do Método Canguru na Colômbia e sua utilização em diferentes países. Para sistematizar a experiência partiu-se da leitura de fontes diversas que incluíram artigos, dissertações, teses e textos oficiais produzidos pelo Ministério da Saúde. A análise do processo de implantação da Atenção Humanizada ao Recém-Nascido de Baixo Peso - Método Canguru pelo Ministério da Saúde nos permitiu mapear uma experiência distinta da encontrada em países que adotaram ou discutem o Método Canguru como estratégia de substituição de tecnologia. Por outro lado, a experiência brasileira também é mais ampla do que aquela encontrada nos países desenvolvidos e se configura como estratégia de qualificação do cuidado neonatal.

Objective: to identify knowledge and practices related to Low Weight Newborn Humane Care -the Kangaroo Method by the medical and nursing staff in public maternity hospitals located in the city of Rio de Janeiro.Method: a cross cutting descriptive method performed by questionnaire application aiming at the management of eleven public maternity hospitals in the city of Rio de Janeiro, selected for the study, related to humane medical care for low weight newborns -the Kangaroo Method. One hundred and forty eight doctors and nurses working at these hospitals were interviewed. Of these, 116 professionals exclusively working in ICU answered specific questions related to care under the perspective of the Kangaroo Method.Results: as for the strategies noted to minimize noise and luminosity, 39% of the professionals related prompt answer to alarms/careful equipment use and 88% referred to luminosity reduction in at least one period out of 24 hour. As for strategies to reduce pain/discomfort, 34% reported the use of non-feeding suction and 9% reported on the use of glucose. Eighty three percent reported clinical data as the main information relayed to parents during the first visit. Physical exam is a procedure where the mother's presence is allowed by 73% of the respondents. Fifty nine percent reported that clinical stability was the reason of allowing the mothers to hold the baby for the first time, but 30% will permit that only if the new born is stable with breathing support.Conclusion: notwithstanding theoretical knowledge on Humane Care, professionals still do not apply it fully in their clinical practice, which is suggestive that the scope of this type of neonatal care is still not totally accepted.

Background: Preterm birth contributes significantly to infant mortality and morbidity, including blindness from retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Access to intensive neonatal care is expanding in many countries, but care is not always optimal, one factor being that nursing is often by inadequately trained nurse assistants. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether an educational package for nurses improves a range of outcomes including survival rates and severe ROP in 5 neonatal units in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: The study design included an uncontrolled before-and-after study in 5 units, with interrupted time series analysis. Participatory approaches were used to develop a self-administered educational package for control of pain, oxygenation, infection, nutrition, and temperature and to improve supportive care (‘POINTS of Care'). Educational materials and DVD clips were developed and training skills of nurse tutors were enhanced. There were two 1-year periods of data collection before and after a 3-month period of self-administration of the education package. Results: Overall, 74% of 401 nurses and nurse assistants were trained. A total of 679 and 563 infants were included in the pre- and post-training periods, respectively. Despite improvement in knowledge and nursing practices, such as the delivery and monitoring of oxygen, there was no change in survival (pre-training 80%, post-training 78.2%), severe ROP (1.6 vs. 2.8%), sepsis (11.3 vs. 12.3 cases per 1,000 infant days) or other outcomes. Outcomes worsened over the pre-intervention period but the change to an improvement after the intervention was not statistically significant. During the study period many trained staff left the units, but few were replaced. Conclusions: Future studies need to focus on barriers to implementation, team building, leadership and governance, as well as the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

This article analyzes an intervention by the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Health Department (SMS-RJ), Brazil, to reduce the neonatal mortality rate (strategies for organizing and upgrading neonatal care in the municipal system, including an increase in the number of neonatal high-risk beds). We studied the trends in neonatal mortality rate (1995/2000), neonatal care provided in different public hospitals (1994/2000), and admissions profile and mortality in four neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) under the SMS-RJ (2000). There was a concentration of high-risk neonatal care in the municipal hospitals (an increase from 28.0% of the care provided for live premature neonates in 1994 to 67.0% in 2000) and a reduction in the neonatal mortality rate in units under the Unified National Health System (from 19.9 deaths per thousand live births in 1996 to 15.5 in 2000). There was no reduction in the prematurity and low birth weight rates among mothers residing in the municipality of Rio de Janeiro. Analysis of admissions to the NICUs showed a high proportion of neonates born to mothers from municipalities outside Rio de Janeiro, while 14.0% of the mothers had not received prenatal care, and the mortality rate among newborns with birth weight < 1.500g was 32.0%.