ABSTRACT
Objective
To analyze the daily routine of mothers-caregivers of children and adolescents with myelomeningocele at home.
Method
Descriptive, exploratory, qualitative research. Data were collected with 16 mothers of children and adolescents with myelomeningocele by means of interviews and observation from May to August 2015, in municipalities of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The data were submitted to qualitative analysis.
Results
The daily care routine of the mothers at home revealed two empirical categories: a) the impact of the birth on naturalization of care, and (b) changes in the routine of the mothers and women. The daily lives of these mothers is marked by caring that restricts their possibilities and activities to within the walls of their homes, although the mothers desire the independence of their children.
Conclusion
The emotional, economic, and social transformations, and the difficulties of these mothers to ensure the continuity of care highlight the importance of inclusive public policies, and the importance of health workers in the rehabilitation of children and adolescents with myelomeningocele and their families.
Meningomyelocele; Caregivers; Continuity of patient care; Rehabilitation