As ações de saúde nos três níveis de atenção favorecem a melhoria da qualidade da assistência materno-infantil e, consequentemente, a detecção precoce de doenças e a redução de óbitos, e sabe-se que se as mesmas não forem implementadas e se não estiverem devidamente articuladas poderão desencadear danos a essa população. Dentro deste cenário, o presente estudo teve por objetivo principal caracterizar a atenção à saúde ao Bebê de alto risco, buscando mapear o fluxo dos cuidados em saúde na Rede para essa população e demonstrando os aspectos positivos e negativos do cuidado em saúde. Para que os objetivos fossem alcançados, foram selecionados aleatoriamente 22 bebês de Alto Risco, por meio de busca ativa nas Declarações de Nascidos Vivos da Supervisão Técnica de Saúde da região estudada. Após, foram agendadas reuniões com as Equipes de saúde de família de referência destes sujeitos para que o questionário baseado no PCA-Tool fosse aplicado. Posteriormente, as famílias foram contatadas para que também fosse aplicado tal instrumento. As potencialidades e as fragilidades da Rede de Cuidado ao Bebê de Alto Risco foram discutidas tanto no âmbito profissional quanto no âmbito familiar. Os dados foram analisados por meio de análise quantitativa. A mesma foi direcionada às comparações entre a percepção do grupo usuários e do grupo profissionais. Nos resultados deste estudo pode-se observar algumas variáveis que tiveram significância estatística, especialmente o vínculo com a UBS, o conhecimento dos indivíduos sobre a equipe NASF, a ciência das Equipes de Saúde da Família quanto ao diagnóstico de gravidez de risco e adesão ao pré natal, via de comunicação do nascimento dos indivíduos, a ciência quanto a necessidade de internação hospitalar, bem como sua duração, além do conhecimento sobre acompanhamento na ASS e o desfecho do mesmo, apontando para uma dificuldade no eixo da coordenação e longitudinalidade dos serviços prestados na Rede de cuidados do bebê de alto risco na região oeste do município de São Paulo / Health actions at the three levels of care favor the quality improvement of maternal and child care and, consequently, the early detection of diseases and the cutback on deaths. It is known that if they are not implemented and if they are not properly articulated, this population can be harmed. Within this scenario, the main objective of this study was to characterize health care for the high-risk infant, seeking to map the flow of health care in the public network for this population by demonstrating the positive and negative aspects of health care. In order to achieve the objectives, twenty-two high-risk infants were randomly selected through an active search in the Declarations of Live Births of the Health Technical Supervision of the studied region. Afterwards, meetings were scheduled with the reference family health teams of these subjects for the PCA-Tool-based questionnaire to be applied. Later on, the families were contacted for such instrument to be applied. The potentialities and weaknesses of the High-Risk Infant Care Network were discussed in both the professional and family contexts. Data were analyzed by means of quantitative analysis. The same was directed to the comparisons between the perception of the group users and the professional group. In the results of this study, some variables that had statistical significance are noteworthy, especially regarding the link to the UBS, the individuals\' knowledge about the NASF team, the Science of the Family Health Teams regarding the diagnosis of the high-risk pregnancy and adherence to the prenatal, communication path of the birth of the individuals, the awareness regarding the need for hospitalization, as well as its duration, in addition to the knowledge about the follow-up in the SSA and its outcome, pointing to a difficulty in the coordination axis and long service quality provided in the high-risk infant care network in the western region of the municipality of São Paulo

Comprehensive management in the neonatal nursery involves medical treatment of the infant, as well as developmental care and the provision of guidance, counselling and information to the family who are part of the decision-making process regarding the infant’s care. Neonatal communication intervention is of utmost importance in a country such as South Africa, which has an increased prevalence of infants at risk for disabilities and where the majority of these infants live in poverty. Speech-language therapists fulfil an important role in the neonatal nursery and are an integral part of the team involved with the high risk neonatal population. Local literature showed a dearth of information on the current service delivery and roles of speech-language therapists and audiologists in neonatal nurseries in the South African context. From an asset-based perspective it appears that the South African population receiving services in neonatal nurseries have unique characteristics. This provides speech-language therapists with ample opportunity to intervene, providing that intervention is well-timed in the neonatal nursery context. The country-wide initiative to implement the evidence-based technique of kangaroo mother care indicates that speech-language therapists should recognise its importance and develop communication based materials and tools to complement this successful neonatal intervention. The aim of the research was to establish whether speech-language therapists have needs for assessment and intervention tools/materials in this context. The study furthermore aimed to compile a locally relevant neonatal communication intervention instrument/tool for use by speech-language therapists in the neonatal nurseries of public hospitals in South Africa in order to propose a solution to address the shortage of tools in the public health context. The study entailed descriptive, exploratory research. During Phase 1, a survey was received back from 39 speech-language therapists and two audiologists in six provinces. The data revealed that participants performed different roles in neonatal nurseries, which were determined by the environment, tools, materials and instrumentation available to them. Many participants were inexperienced, but were resourceful in their attempts to develop and adapt tools/materials. Participants expressed a need for culturally appropriate and user-friendly instruments for parent guidance and staff/team training on the topic of developmental care. During Phase 2 a tool for parent guidance titled “Neonatal communication intervention programme for parents” was compiled for use by speech-language therapists and justified by participants’ roles and needs as well as current early communication intervention (ECI) literature. The programme was piloted by three participants. Certain suggestions for enhancements of the programme were made such as providing a glossary of terms, adapting the programme’s language and terminology, and providing more illustrations. The programme complied with the guiding principles for best practice in ECI (ASHA, 2008) and can therefore contribute to neonatal care of high risk infants in South Africa. Speech-language therapists and audiologists must contribute to neonatal care of high risk infants to facilitate optimal health and development and to support their families. AFRIKAANS : Omvattende intervensie in die neonatale sorgeenheid behels mediese behandeling van die neonaat, sowel as ontwikkelingstoepaslike sorg en die verskaffing van leiding, berading en inligting aan die gesin wat deel is van die besluitnemingsproses rakende die baba se sorg. Neonatale kommunikasie intervensie is van uiterste belang in Suid-Afrika aangesien daar ‘n hoër prevalensie van babas is wat ‘n risiko het vir ontwikkelingsafwykings en aangesien die meerderheid van hierdie babas in armoede leef. Spraak-taalterapeute vervul ‘n belangrike rol in die neonatale sorgeenheid en is ‘n integrale deel van die span wat betrokke is by die hoërisiko neonatale populasie. Plaaslike literatuur dui op ‘n tekort aan inligting rakende die huidige dienslewering van die spraak-taalterapeut en oudioloog in neonatale sorgeenhede in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Vanuit ‘n bate-benadering kom dit voor of die Suid-Afrikaanse populasie wat dienste in neonatale sorgeenhede ontvang, unieke eienskappe het. Dit bied genoegsame geleenthede aan spraak-taalterapeute om intervensie te verskaf, solank die behandeling betyds in die neonatale sorgeenheid konteks aanvang neem. Daar is ‘n landswye inisiatief om die bewysgerigte tegniek van kangeroe moedersorg toe te pas. Spraak-taalterapeute moet dus die belang daarvan herken en kommunikasie gebasseerde terapiemateriaal ontwikkel om hierdie suksesvolle neonatale intervensie te komplementeer. Die navorsing se doel was om vas te stel hoe wyd spraak-taalterapeute en oudioloe ‘n behoefte aan evaluasie en intervensie instrumente en –materiaal in hierdie konteks het. Die navorsing het verder ten doel gestel om ‘n relevante terapie instrument saam te stel vir spraak-taalterapeute in die neonatale sorgeenhede as ‘n moontlike oplossing vir die tekort aan relevante terapiemateriaal in die plaaslike publieke gesondheidsorgkonteks. Die studie het beskrywende, eksplorerende navorsing behels. Gedurende Fase 1 is ‘n vraelys terug ontvang van 39 spraak-taalterapeute en twee oudioloë in ses provinsies. Die data het aangedui dat deelnemers verskillende rolle in hierdie konteks vervul, wat beïnvloed was deur die omgewing, die instrumentasie en materiaal wat tot hulle beskikking was. Die meerderheid van die deelnemers was onervare, maar was vindingryk in hulle pogings om terapiemateriaal aan te pas en te ontwikkel. Deelnemers het ‘n behoefte vir kultureel toepaslike- en gebruikersvriendelike instrumente en materiaal uitgedruk met die oog op ouerleiding en personeel/span opleiding oor die onderwerp van ontwikkelingstoepaslike sorg. Gedurende Fase 2 is ‘n terapie instrument naamlik “Neonatale kommunikasie intervensie program vir ouers” saamgestel vir die gebruik in die neonatale sorgeenhede deur spraak-taalterapeute. Die samestelling van hierdie program is verantwoord deur die deelnemers se rolbeskrywing en behoeftebepaling van Fase 1, sowel as deur huidige vroeë kommunikasie intervensie (VKI) literatuur. Die program is deur drie deelnemers in ‘n loodsstudie geëvalueer. Voorstelle vir die verbetering van die program is verskaf, naamlik die byvoeging van ‘n terminologielys, aanpassing van die program se taalgebruik en terminologie en verskaffing van meer illustrasies. Die program het ooreengestem met die beginsels vir beste praktyk in VKI (ASHA, 2008) en kan daarom tot neonatale sorg van hoërisikobabas in Suid-Afrika bydra. Spraak-taalterapeute en oudioloë moet bydra tot neonatale sorg van hoërisiko neonate om sodoende optimale gesondheidsorg en ontwikkeling te fasiliteer en gesinne te ondersteun. Copyright / Dissertation (MCommunication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / unrestricted