The nutritional care during the prenatal and postpartum: Perceptions of managers of Primary Health Care

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the perception of managers regarding the nutritional care to prenatal and postpartum in Primary Health Units in Southern,São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: It was conducted a census of 28 Primary Health Units from the insular area, using interviews with managers. The nutritional care was assessed according to infrastructure, work process and food and nutrition surveillance. Results: The insertion of dietitians was the main insufficient component of dimension structure, interfering negatively on nutritional care for 60% of managers. It was founded low compliance for the following variables of the process dimension: calculate the body mass index (35%), monitoring of nutritional status in body mass index/gestational week curve (46%) and conducting individualized nutritional counseling in antenatal (14%). Conclusion: Prenatal and postpartum nutritional care is unsatisfactory to achieve comprehensive care. It is necessary to sensitize local manager's awareness and qualify the health teams to ensure the effectiveness of such actions in Santos.