PURPOSE: outlining the profile of patients with cerebral paralysis using gastrotomy and investigating the effects of such procedure on caretakers. METHOD: it is a cross-sectional study with a qualitative and quantitative nature. The research was carried out with patients of Hospital da Criança Santo Antônio - Complexo Hospitalar Santa Casa who had medical diagnosis of Cerebral Paralysis (CP) using gastrostomy. A questionnaire was applied on the caretakers containing quantitative and qualitative questions and data regarding the sample features. RESULTS: there was predominance of monthly income of up to two minimum wages and a family configuration featuring the father as the worker and the mother with no labor activity. Among the reasons for the recommendation for such procedure, deglutition difficulty was present among all the subjects followed by repeated pneumonias and low weight. We could observe a large number of patients who made use of a probe before the gastrostomy with permanence time above one month. The main benefits observed from the settlement of gastrostomy were: weight gain, reduction of respiratory problems and less hospital admittances. From the caretaker´s reports, one perceives the occurrence of feelings like fear of the unknown, resistance and acceptance, difficulties and benefits. CONCLUSION: observing evidences that food problems are frequently found as an indication for the settlement of gastrostomy in children with CP. Caretakers are afraid as for the impossibility of feeding the child via oral. However, after the surgery, most of them reported benefits like weight gain and reduction of hospital admittances.
Gastrostomy; Cerebral Palsy; Deglutition Disorders; Rehabilitation
