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Participation of fathers and siblings in home rehabilitation programmes for children with neuro-developmental delay:
Precious Madzimbe1,2, Soraya Maart3, Lieselotte Corten4
1Department of Health Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. MDZPRE002@myuct.ac.za.
Insights
Father and sibling involvement in home rehabilitation for children with neuro-developmental delay (NDD) is low in low- and middle-income countries. This underrepresentation places additional stress on mothers and negatively impacts child development outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Sciences
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Family Studies
Background:
- Maternal caregiving burden for children with neuro-developmental delay (NDD) is extensively documented.
- The roles of fathers and siblings in NDD caregiving are understudied, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- Holistic, family-centered rehabilitation approaches for children with NDD are increasingly advocated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the involvement of fathers and siblings in home-based rehabilitation programs for children with NDD.
- To identify factors influencing father and sibling participation in NDD home rehabilitation.
- To understand the implications of limited father and sibling involvement on family dynamics and child outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review methodology was employed, adhering to Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines.
- The review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines.
- Literature searches were conducted across major databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, PEDro, Google Scholar) and reference lists.
Main Results:
- Thirty articles were included in the review.
- Father and sibling participation in home rehabilitation is significantly lower in LMICs compared to high-income countries.
- Economic factors and cultural beliefs were identified as key barriers to participation in LMICs.
- Limited involvement of fathers and siblings exacerbates maternal stress and negatively affects developmental outcomes for children with NDD.
Conclusions:
- Rehabilitation professionals should actively promote and facilitate the inclusion of fathers and siblings in home-based NDD care.
- Interventions should address cultural and economic barriers to enhance family-wide participation in rehabilitation.
- Engaging fathers and siblings is crucial for a holistic approach to NDD rehabilitation and improved child development.
Background:
The role of, and impact on, mothers caring for children with neuro-developmental delay (NDD) is well documented. However, the role of fathers and siblings in families of children with NDD remains significantly understudied, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). There has been an increased call for holistic rehabilitation of children with NDD at the family level. This study aimed to explore the involvement of fathers and siblings in the home rehabilitation programmes of children with NDD.
Methods:
A scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Peters et al.'s methodology and reported according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Articles were retrieved from PUBMED, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, PEDro, and Google Scholar. Reference lists of relevant studies were also manually searched.
Results:
Thirty research articles were identified. Father and sibling participation in home-based rehabilitation and caregiving is low in LMICs compared to high-income countries due to economic factors and cultural beliefs. Reduced participation stresses mothers and reduces developmental outcomes in children with NDD.
Conclusions:
This review highlights the need for rehabilitation professionals to encourage father and sibling participation in caregiving for children with NDD in home rehabilitation programmes.
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