Care for Children with Down Syndrome Based on the Axes of the PNAISC in Primary Health Care in Botucatu/SP

• Grant number: 25/10498-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health
• Principal Investigator: Cátia Regina Branco da Fonseca
• Grantee: Ana Beatriz Henrique Parenti
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FMB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/10099-6 - Health care for children with Down Syndrome in primary health care in Botucatu-SP: protocol and flowchart of diagnosis and comprehensive care in the Unified Health System (SUS), AP.PP

Abstract

Down Syndrome (DS) is the most common chromosomal disorder in humans, with one case per 800 live births in Brazil. In addition to physical changes, it involves a degree of developmental delay in the child, requiring adequate stimulation and multidisciplinary follow-up to ensure a healthy life and full social inclusion. Family support is essential, as the child will have specific needs that may also affect family dynamics. It is crucial that professionals and healthcare services be at least minimally trained to meet the basic needs of children with DS-and, by extension, those of their families. The main methodological framework for care directed at this group is the National Policy for Comprehensive Child Health Care (PNAISC), which aims to guide and qualify child health actions and services throughout the country. Within the support network, the care team in Primary Health Care (PHC) includes physicians and nurses, who assume responsibility for care through welcoming and inclusive practices, acting as "generalist professionals" tasked with implementing interventions for individuals with Down syndrome. This is a qualitative research study involving interviews with PHC health professionals in Botucatu/SP, aiming to understand their knowledge of care guidelines for individuals with DS and to assess adherence to the National Policy for Comprehensive Child Health Care, focusing on axes II, III, and VI in the care of children with Down syndrome within PHC. (AU)