A respiração de crianças xavante: do nascimento ao adoecimento

Abstract

The health condition of indigenous peoples is precarious, with a high burden of disease, expressed by profound health inequities when compared to non-indigenous populations. Indigenous health care is based on primary health care in the indigenous territory, however, even after decades of implementation of the health care subsystem in the territory, indigenous populations still persist with the worst health indicators when compared to non-indigenous populations. Among the Brazilian indigenous populations, there are the indigenous, with a population of about 23,000 people, distributed in nine indigenous territories in the Mato Grosso state. Respiratory diseases are common, in addition to infectious and nutritional problems. Acute respiratory diseases determine high morbidity rates, causes half of hospitalizations, and comprise the most frequent death causes of indigenous children. These respiratory infections that are usually treated in hospitals could be avoided by actions of primary care. This descriptive and exploratory study with a qualitative approach had the general objective of investigating how the development and treatment of respiratory disease in Xavante children occurs, from the caregiver's perspective.The treatment and reduction of complications from respiratory diseases are linked to early diagnosis and, for this, it is necessary that the initial symptoms of respiratory problems are identified by families and health professionals, as well as the risk factors for respiratory diseases are known. Infant morbidity and mortality from respiratory causes can be reduced by improving socioeconomic conditions associated with public health actions.