CARE AND OUTCOMES OF RELAXATION ROOM ASSISTANCE AT A PUBLIC MATERNITY HOSPITAL, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

This descriptive and retrospective study analyzed 648 healthcare records of from the relaxation room for women in labor, in 2007. The participants were low risk pregnant women, nuliparae, and in the active phase of labor. The most frequent care interventions were: warm bath (76.4%), walking (56.2%) and massage (52.8%). Most (86.3%) women had a vaginal delivery, and cesareans accounted for 11.1% of the deliveries. Nurse midwives assisted 56.5% of the vaginal deliveries, while physicians assisted the others (44.5%). Regarding the Apgar score, 1.4% of the live births achieved a score below seven at the fifth minute. The other newborns showed good vital signs at birth. The relaxation room is a care environment that promotes the humanization of care in labor and encourages vaginal childbirth.