Vivências de mães acerca dos cuidados com estomias de eliminação em pediatria

Abstract

Introduction: Elimination stomas are surgical procedures that result in the externalization of a hollow viscera to the external environment and are given the nomenclature of the body segment that is exteriorized. The need to create a pediatric stoma is related to the treatment of congenital changes and among intestinal stomas, the main causes are Hirschsprung's disease, imperforate anus, and necrotizing enterocolitis, which characterizes a new and complex situation for mothers. Objective: To learn about experiences regarding care with elimination stomas in pediatrics. Method: Exploratory-Descriptive Qualitative study. The research took place from November to December of 2023 and data was collected using a form via Google Forms®, with mothers participating in WhatsApp groups about elimination stomas in pediatrics. The inclusion criteria were mothers aged 18 years old or over and who acted as the main caregiver of the child with a stoma. The exclusion criteria were: mothers with reading and writing difficulties and who did not know how to answer the online form. The analysis was carried out using content analysis according to Bardin's framework and divided into four thematic categories according to semantic similarity. Results: The study consisted of 41 mothers, residing in 14 Brazilian states. As for the children with elimination stoma, the majority (65%) are male, in the age group ranging from 0 to 7 years old, with the main cause of stoma being Hirschsprung's Disease (51%). The four thematic categories were: Mothers' initial perspective upon learning about the underlying disease; Difficulties encountered in caring for children with a stoma; Pre- and post-operative assistance for children with a stoma; Aid from the support network for mothers of children with stoma. The experience of mothers is challenging, involving a range of feelings such as fear and sadness in the first moments until the subsequent adaptation to a new reality. Final considerations: There was a predominance of young mothers who experienced a stoma for the first time in the maternity ward, with reports of a lack of guidance regarding care and unpreparedness when arriving home to care for their child with a stoma. Also highlighted was the lack of aid from the support network and the importance of learning during hospital stay, as well as referral to a care center for children with stomas.