Follow-up care for premature children: the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rosane Meire Munhak da Silva, Letícia Pancieri, Adriana Zilly and 3 others
PMID 33852686WHAT IT FOUND
Mothers of premature children reported suspended follow-up care and lack of contact from health services during the pandemic.
They managed fever and respiratory symptoms at home, often relying on screen time for stimulation. Some children missed influenza vaccinations.
Key findings
01Follow-up services were suspended, leaving mothers without guidance or contact from health units.
02Mothers reported using screen time to manage daily tasks and child irritation during social distancing.
03Two of the fourteen children had not received the influenza vaccine due to service gaps or oversight.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study relied on online interviews via WhatsApp, which may have limited the depth of understanding compared to face-to-face interactions. The sample was small (12 mothers) and drawn from a single city in Brazil, limiting generalizability. Participants were excluded if they had mental health diagnoses or communication barriers, potentially omitting the most vulnerable families.
Declared interests
The study was approved by an Institutional Review Board. No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest were declared in the text provided.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these mothers received adequate professional support. The study found that health units did not call or provide guidance during the pandemic, leaving families to manage complex care needs for premature children largely on their own.