Care opportunities for premature infants: home visits and telephone support

OBJECTIVE: to analyze opportunities for orientations to promote the care of premature infants during home visits and telephone support. METHOD: a qualitative study from the perspective of philosophical hermeneutics conducted with 18 mothers of premature infants discharged from hospital. Hospital contact and interviews were carried out, 15 and 45 days after discharge and at the infants’ six months of life, with data analysis by interpretation of meanings from 25 home visits and 56 telephone support contacts. RESULTS: the following two thematic units emerged: Needs for contact and guidance: the place for home visits and opportunities for resolving doubts by telephone support, indicating aspects that suggest weakening child health, discontinuity in follow-up and vulnerability in specialized follow-ups. Home visits and telephone support favored the concern of health needs, doubts about basic care and problem solving, as ways to prevent damage and promote child health. CONCLUSION: home visits and telephone support emerge as collaborative practices of care and detection of latent conditions, which can be reduced or interrupted with prompt return of guidance, suggesting opportune strategies to increase follow-up, linkage and access to the health services.