Communication from the news of the birth of a child with Down Syndrome: the effect of a discouraging prediction

• Main Authors: Gloria M. Alcaraz L, Miriam Bastidas A
• Format: Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad de Antioquia 2011-05-01
• Series: Revista Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública
• Subjects: Down Syndrome; news; parenting; mothers; medical training
• Online Access: http://aprendeenlinea.udea.edu.co/revistas/index.php/fnsp/article/view/7559/8065

Objective: to know how health workers give the news of the birth of a child with Down syndrome (ds). Methodology: qualitative, ethnographic. Involved 20 mothers and one grandmother were semistructured interviews and field observations. Results: the news of the birth of the child with ds occurs in a cold, dehumanized, from an unresolved disability. Discussions: mothers perceived health workers disregard for their circumstances. Most will convey the idea of an abnormal child with a disability that will create many problems. The way that mother receive the news is not conducive to meeting with the child, and puts in uncertainty the future vision of mother-child relationship. Conclusions: the health academically untrained to break the news of the birth of a child with ds and sensitivity to support her in meeting her son. Recommendations: to prepare students in the areas of health to provide different types of news in humanizing environment in which it has much value as the biological and social psicoafective