Vivências maternas de cuidados à criança portadora de cardiopatia congênita no domicílio

Abstract

Congenital malformations result from poor tissue formation that might arise in several systems of child's body or at specific locations, for example, the cardiac system. Children with congenital heart disease tend to have delayed growth, because it is related to poor tissue perfusion, reduction of the cardiac output, increase of the pulmonary pressure, recurrent respiratory infections and nutritional status difficulties. Although the correction of heart defects has evolved considerably, even today it is not possible to completely repair some complex anomalies. The prognosis for many children is uncertain, and the full recovery is not always possible. In this context, nursing must create with the child and the family individualized care strategies according to their needs. In this sense, understanding that at home context the family finds the greatest challenges to continue the care of your child, it was traced as the object of this study: mothers care practices to the child with congenital heart disease at home. The objectives of the study are: to understand the feelings of mothers in the care process of a child with congenital heart disease and describe their care practices to a child with congenital heart disease at home. The theoretical foundations of this study are based in theoretical-philosophical conceptions of Collière about care and in Cabral's contributions on the care demands to the child with special health care needs. Methodology: qualitative nature study, exploratory and descriptive. The survey participants were 13 mothers of children with congenital heart disease. The setting was the outpatient pediatric care in congenital heart diseases, located in a teaching hospital in the State of Rio de Janeiro. The collected data were analyzed according to Bardin's content analysis. The following analytical categories emerged: The different fears that interfere in the child s care process; The care facing the child's symptomatology; The periodic follow up in medical consultation and Care in child s daily activities. It was concluded that mothers have different fears as a result of having a child with heart disease, influencing them in the way to take care of their children. In front of the appearance of child signs and symptoms related to the disease, sometimes they develop a care aimed at maintaining life, sometimes they take care of the child in order to limit or combat the disease and its causes. Regarding the daily activities of recreation, they choose to provide passive play to children, meaning those that do not require physical efforts. They understand that an active type of playing can bring some sort of cardiac decompensation to their children. The study points out the need of the nurses professionals to favor spaces for mothers to express their fears, doubts and difficulties in the care for their child, which might reflect a greater security to look after child when at home.