Objective: To estimate the prevalence of good quality child care in the first week of life in primary care services in Brazil and identify associated factors related to maternal, primary healthcare (PHC) facility and municipality characteristics.
Setting: Brazilian PHC.
Participants: 6715 users of PHC facilities aged over 18 years with children under 2 years of age.
Primary outcome: The good quality child care was defined when the following health interventions were performed during postnatal check-up in the first week of life: the child was weighed and measured; the healthcare professional observed breastfeeding techniques and offered counselling on the safest sleeping position; the umbilical cord was examined and the heel prick test was performed.
Results: The prevalence of good quality care was 52.6% (95% CI 51.4% to 53.8%). Observation of breastfeeding techniques (75.9%) and counselling on the safest sleeping position (72.3%) were the activities least performed. Babies born to mothers who received a home visit from a community health worker and made a postpartum visit were twice as likely to receive good quality care (OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.70 to 2.24 and OR 1.97; 95% CI 1.74 to 2.24, respectively).
Conclusions: The information reported by the mothers related to Family Health team work processes was associated with good quality care in the first week of life. Supporting strategies that strengthen health team active search and timely screening actions could promote adequate early childhood development.
Keywords: community child health; epidemiology; primary care; public health; quality in health care.
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