Abstract

BICHO, Dora  and  PIRES, António. Comportamento de mães de crianças hospitalizadas devido a queimaduras . Aná. Psicológica [online]. 2002, vol.20, n.1, pp.115-129. ISSN 0870-8231.

We studied the maternal behaviour on a situation of hospitalized children because of burns. Semi-structured interviews were made to four mothers of children interned in the burns unit of Hospital de Dona Estefânia. The data were analyzed and codified according to the Grounded Theory method. We found a maternal concern that seems to assume a fundamental importance: to diminish the child emotional distress during all time of hospitalization for burns treatment. To give emotional support and parental protection are the ways they use to help the child. In order to decrease child's anxieties and fears, and transmit the feeling of protection and security, they use as common strategy an attitude of continuous parental support (at day and night), being this strategy shared by both parents of the child or only by one of them. The feelings of powerless and dependence of health professional's, the anxiety to obtain information, and the idea that this is the most dangerous phase, are other important issues.

Keywords : Parental behaviour; mothers; burned child; risk situation; grounded theory.

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