title: [Mothers' perceptions of care practices for children who underwent heart transplantation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To learn mothers' perceptions of the main care practices that are to be administered after their children's heart transplantation, as well as the main difficulties they experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive qualitative study conducted in March and April 2014, using the focus group technique for data gathering. Participants were 12 mothers who were monitoring their children in a hospital that is a reference for treating cardiopulmonary diseases. Speeches were recorded, transcribed, and organized around the care practices that the mothers performed after the children's heart transplantations, the mothers' main difficulties, their perceptions of their children's quality of life, and the use of educational materials to disseminate post-transplantation care practices. For data analysis, we used the content analysis technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The following were clarified: the schedule of immunosuppressive medication; food, environmental, and bodily and oral hygiene; the use of surgical masks; and keeping the children away from crowds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study contributed to the situational diagnosis of the care administered by the mothers of transplanted children.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sarah Maria de Sousa
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Feitoza
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristiana Brasil de Almeida
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Rebouças
authors.affiliation: Faculdade Integrada do Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Máguida Gomes da
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Hospital Dr. Carlos Alberto Studart Gomes, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvania Braga
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002654:Child Care; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*