title: Child safety from the perspective of essential needs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to characterize the maternal care for children under one year of age with a view to child health promotion at home.
  
  
  METHODS
  exploratory study with qualitative data analysis, thematic mode, based on the conceptual framework of the essential needs of children, based on interviews recorded with 16 mothers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the analysis of the maternal narratives showed elements that facilitate the promotion of child safety: presence and involvement of the parents, constant surveillance for physical and emotional protection, experiences to stimulate child development, support networks for childcare at home; and inhibiting elements of child safety: limited perception of characteristics of child development and of children's singularities, overprotection and difficulties to set limits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the study enhances the understanding of home care in child health promotion, directing professional actions to guarantee ongoing nurturing relationships, protection, respect for individual differences, experiences appropriate to child development, limit setting and construction of stable and supportive social networks. In addition, the relevance of considering the maternal perspective in child health care is considered, as a strategy to apprehend aspects related to the attendance of the growth and development needs, particularly for child health promotion at home.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Débora Falleiros
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: de Mello
authors.affiliation: aff2.
authors.forename: Nayara Cristina Pereira
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Henrique
authors.affiliation: aff2.
authors.forename: Letícia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pancieri
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria de La Ó Ramallo
authors.initials: Mde L
authors.lastname: Veríssimo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vera Lúcia Pamplona
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Tonete
authors.affiliation: King's College, London, England.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malone
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002654:Child Care / Q000592:standards*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D012449:Safety; D055815:Young Adult