Setores de cuidado à saúde: vivências de famílias egressas de unidade de terapia intensiva neonatal

Abstract

The evolution of neonatal intensive care has made it possible to increase the survival of this group of at-risk children, requiring a shared follow-up between specialized care (follow-up clinic) and long-term basic care, in order to monitor growth and development facilitating their insertion in the social context. However, on returning home, the family is confronted with socio-cultural issues focused on the symbolic dimension of the understanding about health, including its knowledge, perceptions and experiences to perceive, classify and seek help in the face of intercurrences. The present study had the objective of analyzing the choices of mothers and caregivers for the care practices of children who were not enrolled in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in. This is a qualitative exploratory study using an interpretative approach. It was developed from two larger public Neonatal Intensive Care Units being one university and one from federal management and the other from state management. Both are enabled as a Baby Friendly Hospital and have a follow-up clinic. Data collection occurred in the period between May and June 2018 through a semi-structured interview conducted at the home with the child's primary caregiver. The sample met the saturation criterion. The data were analyzed from the content analysis in the thematic modality. Based on the interviewees' speeches, it was possible to identify the available resources and the motivations for seeking care in different sectors. In the present study, the caregivers did not report any link with primary health care, only with the professionals that accompany it in secondary care, who end up covering other demands that should be addressed in the basic health network resulting in a disjointed care among the services. This work enabled the rescue of children who had abandoned follow-up in the follow-up clinic.