Family care for infants with respiratory diseases: An exploratory descriptive study

Abstract

Aim: To describe the family care aimed at infants with respiratory diseases from the educational practice of nurses. Method: This is a descriptive study using a qualitative approach. An outpatient pediatric clinic of a university hospital in Rio de Janeiro was the study scenario. Data collection took place between the months of September 2013 and January 2014 through semi-structured interviews with the mothers of infants. A thematic content analysis was used. Results: The data collected produced two categories: home-based care for infants with respiratory diseases, and family facilities and difficulties in terms of the home care aimed at infants with respiratory diseases. The practice was guided by life-sustaining care, by means of the adoption of environmental control measures and repair, with the prevalence of self-medication. Conclusion: A dialogic educational practice helps to take care of the integral mode of infants in the context of environmental health.