Abstract

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a developmental disorder, characterized by movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Children with CP experience poor motor coordination and have problems with sensation, vision, hearing, swallowing and speaking. A qualitative study was conducted at Mutale Municipality to ascertain the challenges faced by mothers with children who have CP. Unstructured interviews were conducted with 12 participants and data were analysed using interpretative data analysis. The results showed that the challenges faced by mothers, with cerebral palsy children were social and psychological, hence, the study concluded that these specific types of support should be given to these mothers. The findings also indicated that cerebral palsy is condition that requires a lot of care from parents and that there is lack of support and understanding of the condition from family and friends. Parents raising children with cerebral palsy require the support of friends and family members, therefore, the lack of that support leads to psychological problems, such as feelings of isolation, worries and stress. The researchers recommend that campaigns must be undertaken to help the society to understand cerebral palsy, as this might enhance the societal acceptance and motivate support for those with the condition.

摘要

脑性麻痹 (CP) 是一种发育障碍，其特征是儿童早期出现的运动障碍。患有脑瘫的儿童运动协调能力差，感觉、视力、听力、吞咽和说话都有问题。在 Mutale 市进行了一项定性研究，以确定患有 CP 孩子的母亲所面临的挑战。对 12 名参与者进行了非结构化访谈，并使用解释性数据分析对数据进行了分析。结果表明，患有脑瘫儿童的母亲面临的挑战是社会和心理方面的，因此，研究得出结论，应该为这些母亲提供这些特定类型的支持。研究结果还表明，脑瘫是一种需要父母大量照顾的疾病，而家人和朋友对这种疾病缺乏支持和理解。抚养脑瘫儿童的父母需要朋友和家人的支持，因此，缺乏这种支持会导致心理问题，例如孤立感、忧虑和压力。研究人员建议必须开展运动以帮助社会了解脑瘫，因为这可能会提高社会接受度并激发对患有脑瘫的人的支持。担忧和压力。研究人员建议必须开展运动以帮助社会了解脑瘫，因为这可能会提高社会接受度并激发对患有脑瘫的人的支持。担忧和压力。研究人员建议必须开展运动以帮助社会了解脑瘫，因为这可能会提高社会接受度并激发对患有脑瘫的人的支持。