THE USE OF INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY PRACTICES IN THE PREGNANCY-PUERPERBORN CYCLE: an integrative review

Abstract

Pregnancy is understood as a period marked by countless physical, emotional and hormonal changes, sometimes aligned with family abandonment and maternal loneliness. It is also known that Primary Health Care is the gateway for SUS users, facilitating access to health and continuity of care. Considering the multiple processes that can interfere in the pregnancy cycle, complementary integrative practices have emerged as innovative technologies for promoting self-care for pregnant women. The aim of this study is to analyze, through an integrative review, the use of integrative and complementary practices during the pregnancy cycle in Primary Health Care. This is an Integrative Review of the literature that used the PICo strategy through the controlled descriptors: pregnancy, complementary therapies and primary health care and their alternative terms. The search took place in the databases LILACS, BDENF, IBECS, via BVS, MEDLINE via PUBMED and SciELO, from 2017 to 2022. The initial sample was 2,404,698 articles, stratified after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, giving a final sample of 15 articles. Research has shown that pregnancy involves changes that can affect the health of both the pregnant woman and the unborn child. Complaints such as low back pain, insomnia, anxiety disorders and the association with comorbidities were identified among the complications of this cycle. These offered emancipation in self-care, independence in decision-making, family inclusion, modulation of stress biomarkers and pain management. The analysis of the findings in the literature shows the variety of physical, biochemical and emotional stimuli provided by these practices during pregnancy, as well as the diversification of their applications. The study reinforces that their use in Primary Health Care provides a greater bond between pregnant women and professionals and greater adherence to prenatal care.