MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH: CHALLENGES FOR COMPREHENSIVE CARE

Abstract

Maternal and child health represents a key pillar of public health policies, essential for reducing maternal and child morbidity and mortality and promoting healthy child development. Despite advances made in recent decades, challenges compromising comprehensive care persist, linked to social inequalities, barriers to service access, fragmentation of the Health Care Network, and structural limitations within health systems. This study aimed to analyze the main challenges regarding comprehensive maternal and child health care, highlighting the importance of Primary Health Care, multidisciplinary practice, and public policies focused on improving the quality of care. It is an integrative literature review conducted using the SciELO, LILACS, Virtual Health Library (VHL), and MEDLINE/PubMed databases, employing descriptors related to maternal health, child health, primary care, and comprehensive care. Articles published between 2020 and 2026 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish were included, provided they were available in full text and addressed the study's topic. The studies demonstrated that Primary Health Care serves as the primary organizing axis for maternal and child care; however, factors such as socioeconomic inequalities, access barriers, resource shortages, and service fragmentation continue to compromise the continuity of care. The study concludes that strengthening Primary Health Care, multidisciplinary practice, and public policies—combined with the organization of care networks and the implementation of humanized practices—is fundamental to ensuring comprehensive, equitable, and high-quality care for women, children, and families.