CONCERNS OF MOTHERS WITH HEARING LOSS CHILD: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Havig a hearing loss children is a stressful and unanticipated experience for their parents. Their mothers need a specific social and spiritual support to provide care for their children. This study aimed to understand the concerns of mothers who have a congenitally hearing loss child. In this qualitative content analysis, by using purposeful sampling method, 12 mothers with hearing loss children were participated in the semi-structural and deep interviews. Gathered data were analyzed by using qualitative content analysis provided by Graneheim et al. The concerns of mothers of hearing loss children were categorized in three main themes: ‘the concerns related to the nature of hearing losses, ‘the social concerns’ and ‘concerns about future’. Among the future concerns, possibility of having another deaf child birth and the occurrence of it in the grand-children were the most important ones. M others of deaf children are experiencing the varieties of concerns. To cope with these concerns, they need a special consideration by social and health professionals. Modification of the concerns can decrease the child-related stress, and consequently encourage them to be involved in child care.