Hurdles at work: perceptions of hospital food handlers.

Background: Food handlers have a very important role in preventing food contamination during its preparation and distribution. This responsibility is even greater in hospitals, since a large number of patients have low immunity and consequently food contamination by pathogenic bacteria could be particularly harmful. Therefore, a good working environment and periodic training should be provided to food handlers by upper management.

Follow-up of the child's motor abilities in day-care centers and pre-schools.

The aim was to describe the results of a developmental screening test in a cohort of 30 children attending 3 day-care centers in the city of São Paulo and develop hypotheses about these results. Thirty children were evaluated three times, during two years, by using the DDST. In the gross motor area the results improved (Tests of the Signs, 1st to the 3rd evaluation, p= 0.

[The nurse and the nursing staff according to mothers of hospitalized children].

This study was carried out at the Pediatrics Unit in a School Hospital of the city of São Paulo during the second semester of 2000. This is a qualitative research with the following objectives: (1) to understand how mothers with a child in hospital identify the nurse as well as other components of the nursing Staff (technicians and assistants) and (2) to learn about their perceptions about the care provided by the nursing staff. Eight mothers with a child hospitalized were individually interviewed.

[Factors that support and do not support the staying of mothers in a hospital pediatric unit].

The factors that do or don't support the permanence of accompanying mothers in a pediatric unit were evaluated. Six interviews were held with the mothers and analyzed according to the themes. The factors that support the accompanying mother are: count on presence of other family members (mainly the child's father), the possibility of free meals at the hospital; trust the hospital team and being heeded by this team.

[The process of communication in the promotion of breastfeeding].

Breast-feeding is a complex human behavior that contributes to the reduction of infantile morbidity and mortality indices. Recently undertaken research are being achieved focussing on real-life breast-feeding from the fostress' point of view; these studies are showing this experience to often be quite painful both physically and psychologically. The health professional must be prepared to take care of these fostresses, including the ability to communicate with them.

[CARI Project - Assistance proposal in children's institutions].

The authors present a plan they call "CARI Project". "CARI Project" is a work with babies and their mothers in children's institutions. Its objective is to decrease the infant morbidity and mortality rates by means of: observation of the growth measurements, stimulating breast-feeding, oral hydratation and immunizations.

[Relactation: bibliografical review].

In non-industrialized societies, for instance, Bantu and Zulu, relactation is an important oportunity of survival for the orphan new-born. In ocidental urban societies relactation has been made by multidisciplinary staffs, with the aim of promoting good mother-son interation and to flight desnutrition in childhood. Cultural influence is emphasized in the natural nursing process and in relactation.

[Breastfeeding and relactation - nurse's intervention].

The role of the nurse both in breastfeeding and in relactation is presented according to Leavell's and Clark's levels of prevention. The authors describe the subject the mother should be taught during pregnancy and after delivery; they emphasize the preparation of the breasts for breastfeeding, the measures to be taken in periods of crisis and of hypogalactia, the procedures for promotion of relactation.