The family and the practice of breastfeeding for low birth weight babies.

Estudo prospectivo relativo ao acompanhamento de fam?lias em ambiente hospitalar e ambulatorial cujos beb?s nasceram com baixo peso. Teve como objetivo de identificar fontes de apoio e conflito que influenciam o cuidado e a pr?tica da amamenta??o, com base na estrutura das fam?lias e suas rela??es. Participaram do estudo 33 fam?lias com base no estudo do genograma, do ecomapa e das informa??es de protocolo estruturado. Utilizou-se como referencial te?rico o Interacionismo Simb?lico. Das fam?lias, 24,2% tinham conflito intrafamiliar e aus?ncia de apoio para o cuidado e amamenta??o. Tal condi??o se relacionou com dificuldades maternas cujo motivo predominante foi a condi??o emocional. Com o apoio das fam?lias, 40% das nutrizes tiveram dificuldades relacionadas ao manejo da amamenta??o. A amamenta??o exclusiva foi poss?vel pelo diagn?stico das condi??es familiares, bem como da condi??o de suporte encontrada. A identifica??o dos pontos vulner?veis e o atendimento das necessidades dos familiares devem fazer parte dos cuidados.This prospective study following up families at the hospital or in outpatient settings whose babies was born on low weight. The aim of the study was to identify the sources of support and conflict that influenced care and breastfeeding practices, based on family structures and its relationships. Data were collected from 33 families based in genograms, ecomaps and information from a structured protocol. The Symbolic Interactionism was the theoretical reference. Among the families, 24.2% had conflicts within the family and a lack of support for care and breastfeeding. This condition correlated with maternal difficulties, predominantly of emotional nature. With family support, 40% of the breastfeeding women had difficulties relating to management of breastfeeding. The exclusive breastfeeding was possible in accordance with the diagnosis of family conditions and the support conditions encountered. The vulnerable points identification as health assistance to familiars has to be considered in health care