Reflexos da hospitalização da criança na vida do familiar acompanhante/Reflections of child hospitalization in the life of the familiar attender/Reflexiones de la hospitalización del niño en la vida del acompañante familiar

This is an assistance convergent research, which aimed to investigate the effects of child's hospitalization in the companion family life. It was performed in a hospital located in Goiania-GO, Brazil, where parents of hospitalized children participated in a support group. Data collection occurred from February to July 2010, through the recording and transcription of group sessions; to analyze the facts and phenomena experienced in the group, it was used the thematic analysis. The results provide subsidies for health professionals that allow them to understand how complex is the experience of having and live with a family child in situation of illness and hospitalization. The authors conclude that this experience affects family relationships, mental and physical health, and the maintenance of the social networking of the companion.