This article presents a critical review of the literature related to social support networks in the context of the development of children born pre-term. The focus is on the approach of the Bioecological Model of Human Development, which highlights the influence of external environments as a context for development. The bibliographical survey was carried out in the following databases, Portal da Capes, MedLine, Lilacs and SciELO, using pre-established descriptors. Among the 137 studies, only 39 referred to the proposed theme and only one related prematurity with the Bioecological Model. The results highlight the importance of support from significant people and of the monitoring programs for children born preterm and their families, referring to the personal and institutional social network, respectively. The importance of the implementation of health policies in which actions are planned in the perinatal and childhood health area is noteworthy from the perspective of social support networks as a care strategy.
Social support; Human development; Bio-ecological model; Premature birth