Introduction: The Down’s syndrome (DS) is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities. It can be diagnosed in prenatal and postnatal period. Even though prenatal testing enables early diagnosis, most of the parents are faced with the diagnosis after the child’s birth. Disclosing unfavourable information to parents about their child’s affliction is one of the most difficult tasks for doctors. Consequently, the way of breaking the news is of utmost importance in the early medical treatment as it affects the acceptance of the DS child into the family and coping with the condition later in life. Purpose: The purpose of the diploma work is to establish whether women are satisfied with the process of disclosing the diagnosis and the subtlety (or the lack of it) of doctors when breaking the bad news, and the mothers’ responses to the news. Methods: For the purposes of the study, a descriptive research method was used with the presentation of the theoretical background. The literature search was conducted via Google Scholar, PubMed and DiKUL online resources and databases. Results: There are several methods to establish the diagnosis of DS in the prenatal and postnatal period. Doctors and other health professionals are obliged to respect the decision of the mother after she has been informed about her child’s diagnosis. The health providers avail of multiple guidelines to impart the bad news to the parents. They are advised to break the news in a simple and understandable language, preferably in the presence of both parents. The risk of depression in mothers of children with this chromosomal condition is very high. It is especially common in mothers who reported history of previous poorer mental health. In most cases, the depression is evident in mothers who do not receive enough support and help from their partners’ or families. Discussion and conclusion: Health providers should be aware of the importance of adequate and respectful way of breaking the news of the diagnosis to the parents of the afflicted child. It can in many ways impact the child’s development and their future life. The study results show that in Slovenia not enough research has been devoted to communication with mothers of children with Down’s syndrome. It is necessary to further develop the guidelines on how to inform the parents about their child’s disease, which would be used by health professionals and could be introduced also to medical students, midwives and nurses.
|
