Tornar-se avó no contexto da gravidez adolescente

Abstract

The birth of a new member in the family can cause changes in the routine of this group, requiring an adjustment in the lives of all family members involved in this situation. The changes are related not only to family dynamics, but also to the development of new roles and identities. Currently, some grandparents play the role of caregivers, offering moral, financial and emotional support to children and grandchildren. This dissertation deals with this theme, and is composed by two articles. The first study is a critical integrative review aimed to investigate the scientific publications on the topic of grandparents, published from 2005 to 2015. A search of national studies was performed on the SciELO and PEPSIC databases. They selected 14 articles. It was found that grandparents are important sources of emotional support, and affection both for children and for their grandchildren, particularly in contexts of teenage pregnancy, grandchildren with disabilities and breastfeeding. The second study aims to know how was the process of becoming a grandmother in the context of adolescent pregnancy. The participants were 12 women in the age group of 29-55 years. Information was collected in Health Basic Units of a city in Rio Grande do Sul through semi-structured interviews and incomplete sentences game. The analysis was based on the theoretical model of Grounded Theory (DFT). Becoming a grandmother was found to be characterized by negative (fear, anger, sadness) and positive feelings (happiness). Participants report that they never imagined becoming a grandmother at this time of their lives. Some grandparents consider that being a grandmother is to be the second mother of the child. It highlights the need for development of public policies that address this audience, and the inclusion of their participation in health promotion activities.