Views of Health and Development: Six Mothers and. Their Infants

Abstract

This study investigated maternal perceptions of their infants' health and developmental problems. The purposes were to describe the range of ways in which mothers perceive problems, defects, abnormalities, and/or disabilities in their infants; to identify the variables which influence such maternal "diagnoses"; and to examine the potential usefulness of mothers' views and information in the diagnostic and treatment process utilized with health- or developmentally compromised infants. Six mothers of infants aged 3 to 24 months were intervlewed over 15 months. Four physicians were subsequently interviewed. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed. The results underscore the importance of the mother's perspective in the total treatment/habilitation process.

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