Background: Down syndrome is a chromosomal defect causing intellectual impairment and
physical abnormalities. A healthy child is born with 46 chromosomes, whereas a child with Down
syndrome has an extra copy of chromosome 21. Aim of the study: This study aimed to assess
mothers' knowledge and practices toward care of their children with Down syndrome. Research
design: A descriptive research design was used. Research setting: The study was conducted in
Pediatric Outpatient Genetic Clinic at Specialized Pediatric Hospital which is affiliated to
Secretariat of Specialized Medical Center at Benha City. Study subjects: A purposive sample of 55
mothers accompanying their children. Tools of data collection: Two tools were used; Tool I: A
structured interview questionnaire sheet: It consisted of five parts; Part 1: Personal characteristics
of the studied mothers, Part 2: Characteristics of the studied children, Part 3: Medical history of
the studied children, Part 4: Previous obstetric history of the studied mothers, Part 5: Mothers'
knowledge about Down syndrome. Tool II: Mothers' reported practices toward care of their
children with Down syndrome. Results: The majority of the studied mothers had unsatisfactory
level of knowledge regarding Down syndrome, meanwhile more than two thirds of them had
inadequate level of total reported practices regarding caring of their children with down syndrome. |
