With reference to the bio-ecological approach of humam development proposed by U. Bronfenbrenner and the assumptions of the National Humanization Policy of SUS, this article aimed to investigate the practices of early intervention in public hospitals in the Rio de Janeiro city and the role of psychologists in this type of the practice in the Maternal and Child Health area. We interviewed 10 psychologists in six high-risk pregnancy hospitals and we observed these hospitals using an observation protocol and an interview guide developed by the authors. The data revealed that there are different practices of early intervention in the institutions visited and the psychologists understood the early intervention as a work focused on maternal and child bonding, recognizing it is as a technical and professional practice that would facilitate the promotion of maternal and child health.
Early Intervention; maternal and child health; psychologist performance