Childcare: a systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Childcare is defined as a set of techniques used to evaluate the physical and mental development of children, from gestation to four or five years of age. This study aims to identify and describe the models of childcare found in the literature, specifically in the databases MEDLINE, LILACS, LILACS-Express, SCIELO, BDENF, HISA, SESSP-IBPROD, INDEX PSYCHOLOGY, PUBMED, PDQ, LEYES, CUIDEN and PROQUEST, using the descriptor “childcare” in Portuguese and English between 2010 and 2016. The method used to carry out this research was the systematic review of the literature, and from it, produce a careful reading of the references found, seeking to evaluate the quality of the study and use all the information defined in the planning. A narrative synthesis was carried out with a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the bibliographical sample, accompanied by the critical discussion of the material. The results show that there is no reference in any reference used to describe the practices performed. It was observed a predominance of the practice of childcare among nurses; however, doctors and dentists appeared among the studies analyzed, but focused on specific areas such as oral health, early weaning, the importance of vaccination and neurocognitive development of children. This action has as a practical consequence the compartmentalization of knowledge about the child, not having a comprehensive view of the individual.