Repercussions of COVID-19 on the care of children with special health needs

Abstract

Objective Understanding the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the care of children with special health needs. Methods Exploratory, qualitative research, anchored in the conceptual framework of health vulnerability in the individual, social and institutional dimensions. Interviews were carried out from October 2020 to February 2021 (pre-vaccination against COVID-19) with 19 family caregivers, 11 professionals from education, social protection and health institutions and 15 primary health care nurses in a Brazilian city on the Brazil-Argentina-Paraguay border. Reflective thematic analysis was applied. Results Discontinuity in care, low scope of social protection and unstable institutional context marked the attention of children with special health needs. Individual vulnerabilities were highlighted as a result of vaccination delays, fear of contagion and changes in development; institutional vulnerability due to restrictions on home visits, waiting lists, lack of professionals and absence of group activities; and social vulnerability related to difficulties in social assistance and the closure of land borders. Elements related to the telehealth strategy and mechanisms that assume professional responsibility expressed strengths for the care of children with special health needs. Conclusion The restrictive measures adopted at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the care of children with special health needs, intensifying their individual and social vulnerabilities. Strengthening family and community contexts and expanding dialogue between sectors of primary health care indicate avoiding a mismatch between professional support and the pressing needs of these children, ensuring continuity of care.