Maternal perceptions aboutthe nutritional disorder of the child: a comprehensive study

Abstract

This is a qualitative research that aimed to understand the meaning for the mothers of having a child with a nutritional disorder. The use of Phenomenology as methodology allowed us to capture the essence of the phenomenon from the spe eches of 16 mothers. Data collection was conducted through interviews directed to the children's mothers/caretakers guided by the question: "Tell us what it means to you to have a child with a weight problem."The mothers' discourse allowed the definition of four categories of meaning: attention to child's fe eding; comparison with other children; concern for child's weight and health care professional's support. This research will assist the follow-up care of a child with nutrition problems in order to subsidize an educational proposal and contribute to proper and humane care that focuses on the fe elings of mothers of children with a nutritional disorder.