This study aims at analyzing the family knowledge about 1to 5 year old children's health in a riverain community. The objectives are: describing their life experience; analyzing their knowledge; discussing the implications of this knowledge before the children's health in the nurse practice. It is a qualitative case study. The methods comprise a form to and a nondirective group interview. Based on the thematic analysis, it was found that family knowledge built through family and social relationships is embedded with cultural values, beliefs, customs and conducts as, for example, the use of medicinal plants. The socio-economic condition and the geographic distance favor the relationship between popular knowledge and the health services near the community.It was concluded that the community family members need the health professionals to provide guidance on how to deal with their children's health problems. In this context, the participation of nursing in guiding is relevant in order to promote children's health.
Nursing; Children; Family; Community