Postnatal support for mothers of children with Down syndrome.
Delivering and receiving a postnatal diagnosis of Down syndrome is not an easy experience for most physicians or parents. In this study, 467 mothers of children with Down syndrome in Spain completed a survey about the postnatal support services they received immediately following the diagnosis of their child. Mothers reported feeling anxious, frightened, guilty, angry, and, in rare cases, suicidal. According to most mothers, physicians did not give adequate amounts of information about Down syndrome and rarely did they give enough printed materials or make referrals to parent support groups. Little seems to have changed since 1972. Mothers provided recommendations on how the Spanish medical system could be improved, with implications for other countries including the United States.
Skotko
Brian
B
Harvard Medical School, 12 Greenway Ct., Suite 5, Brookline, MA 02446, USA. Brian_Skotko@student.hms.harvard.edu
Bedia
Ricardo Canal
RC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support