Vivências da maternidade em casos de toxoplasmose gestacional e pós-natal: um estudo longitudinal

Abstract

In 2018, the city of Santa Maria/RS was affected by an outbreak that triggered a significant number of cases of gestational, congenital and postnatal toxoplasmosis, with risks of organic complications for child development that can impact well-being physiological and emotional aspects of the mother-infant dyad. This study sought to understand how the exercise of mothering of mothers of children whose early life was marked by toxoplasmosis was developed. A multiple case study was developed whose participants were three mothers of children who had gestational or postnatal toxoplasmosis, who answered semi-structured interviews, carried out in two meetings with an interval of three years between them. The information was analyzed through the general strategy based on theoretical propositions, and the specific analytical technique was the construction of the explanation. The results indicated that the experience of toxoplasmosis at the beginning of life can complicate the daily lives of the dyads, who need to adapt to the demands of motherhood and the disease, such as frequent appointments, tests and treatments. Despite the adversities imposed by the illness, the mother-infant bonding was successful in all three cases, so that toxoplasmosis did not prevent the good relationship between mothers and their children. However, the presence of difficulties was identified in the process of gradual disadaptation of mothers with their children, especially when organic intercurrences manifested. It concludes about the importance of the study in the sense of expanding knowledge about the subject, in order to provide subsidies for health professionals, in order to better understand and be equipped to offer adequate support to the process experienced by these mothers.