THE PARENTAL EXPERIENCE AFTER ZIKA VIRUS MICROCEPHALY DIAGNOSIS: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Objective: To report the parental experience after receiving the diagnosis of microcephaly by zika virus. Methods: A qualitative methodology was applied as a single case study type. The key informants were parents of a child with microcephaly by zika virus. The data collection instrument was the semi-structured interview, later analyzed and categorized through content analysis, based on Minayo's theory. The research was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee of the UNEB, under the protocol number 098615/2016 and held in March 2017, in a Clinical School of Physiotherapy in the Institution of Higher Education in Salvador Bahia. Results: The mother and father of a child with microcephaly for zika virus participated in the study. The parents were between the ages of 38 and 39 years old and the 1-year-old son was diagnosed in the perinatal period. The experience of parents of children with microcephaly caused by zika virus has caused changes in the family structure. The categories that emerged from the key informants’ statements were: Parents' reactions and feelings regarding the discovery of microcephaly by son's zika virus, Mourning elaboration, Family dynamics, Support network and Expectations for the future. Conclusion: It was evidenced that the experience after the diagnosis of microcephaly by zika virus of the child runs through several phases, and the identification of these by health professionals becomes essential to bring comfort to these families and to provide better development for the child.