This study's aim was to analyse the nature and the trend from articles about low weight children's health. It is an integrative review developed in august of 2009, with the descriptors: "Infant, low birth weight" or "infant, very low birth weight" and "intensive care units, neonatal" published from 1990 to 2008. 608 abstract were submitted to thematic content analysis. Clinic-epidemiological studies results show that the low weight and morbi-mortality neonatal risk factors and the ones with assistential tendency contribute to the care and routine given. It becomes evident that the advances in the newborn health care, the clinical complexity and the implications to his assistance. It stans out that there is a gap in researches that exposes the family subjectivity, support and inclusion in the care process and in coping with this situation.
Infant, low birth weight; Infant, very low birth weight; Intensive care units, neonatal