Chronic disease in children: Family experience in diagnostic reception

Objective: to know how the family experiences receiving the diagnosis of chronic disease of the child. Method: this is a descriptive and exploratory study, with a qualitative approach, with 15 family caregivers of children with chronic diseases. The technique used for the production of data was the semistructured interview, using a tape recorder. The responses were transcribed and analyzed according to the Thematic Analysis. Results: the family received the diagnosis of the child by the hospital doctor after childbirth or when the first symptoms of the disease appeared. Some were not informed, and the observation of signs of the disease was a source of stress and insecurity. Conclusion: receiving the diagnosis caused a strong reaction in the family that needed to modify their daily life to face the difficulties presented by the child and to find ways to take care of it effectively.