The purpose of this article is to describe the motherly care process carried out with babies who were let at the Maternity foster care service. Rejection, disease, death and poverty can be presented as the determinants for living the babies at the institutional care service by mothers and families. Several studies point out the harmful effects on the children's development when they are observed during the separation processes from the parents and, specially, from their mothers. These children require specialized assistance to minimize, as much as possible, the abandonment psychological consequences. Based on the studies that deal with this subject, the Maternity Psychological Service practices the motherly care with these babies, in order to supply the mother care privation using the influence of interaction through speech and hold held contact. Significant people long absences and an extended institutionalization period bring against the child development. The motherly care acts as a protection factor for the abandoned baby development, promoting mental health.
maternal behavior (human); infants; holding; mother-baby separation; psychological development; risk factors; protection factors