Voiceless Births: Regulation, Invisibilities, And Rights In Brazil

Le résumé fourni par la source

Aim: To critically examine how the absence of federal legislation and comprehensive normative frameworks affects prevention, accountability, and legal responses to obstetric violence (OV) in Brazil. Methods: A narrative qualiquantitative, exploratory–descriptive review of literature indexed in BVS and SciELO (2018–2023) was conducted, complemented by documentary analysis of state legislation and selected judicial decisions. Inclusion criteria encompassed empirical studies, legal texts, policy documents, and jurisprudence addressing OV and childbirth humanization; eleven studies met the criteria. Data were synthesized to map normative typologies, regional coverage, and judicial treatment. Results: The juridical-scientific corpus is limited and uneven: the search retrieved 37 records (11 met inclusion), with empirical studies concentrated in the Northeast (n=3) and Southeast (n=2). At the subnational level, 14 states mention “obstetric violence” and 8 refer to “humanization”; identified norms were 19 informational, 28 preventive, and 2 punitive. Evidence remains scarce for remote and marginalized populations. Conclusions: The promulgation of a federal legal definition of OV is recommended, alongside adoption of standardized monitoring indicators (including cesarean rates disaggregated by race, region, and service type), sustained capacity-building for health professionals, and establishment of intersectoral, community-inclusive accountability mechanisms. Limitations include publication bias, language restrictions, and limited geographic representation. These measures are essential to advance respectful, autonomy-centered childbirth care and to strengthen prevention and redress mechanisms nationwide.

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