分娩麻痺の親・児における障害の受け止め方—青年期の調査

Acceptance of disability in children with birth palsy and their parents. A follow-up study of physically handicapped children

要旨：分娩麻痺児とその親の障害に対する受け止め方を知る目的でアンケートを行った．対象は，乳幼児期に作業療法(OT)を行い予後を追跡し得た児33例(男16例，女17例)，親31例児の調査時の平均年齢は，22.5±3.3歳30例は親・児双方から回答が得られた．親と児では悩みの時期と内容に違いがあり，親は出産直後(97％)から小・中学校時代で悩むことが多く，その後減少した．児は障害についての悩みを73％が経験し，小学校高学年から中学校，青年前期に悩む者が多く，障害を自然に受け止め，肯定的に捉える傾向が67％と高率であることが注目された．親はOTの実施と，同じ障害を持つ親・児との出会いを肯定的に捉えていた．

　The purpose of this study was to clarify how physically handicapped children and their parents accepted disability.

　Long-term outcome and acceptance of disability were examined in handicapped children with birth palsy who had received occupational therapy during infancy at Kanagawa Children's Medical Center. The mean age for the beginning of occupational therapy was 2.8 + 3.5 years. With the help of mailed questionnaires, follow-up data were obtained from 33 children after they became over 18 years of age (the mean age of 22.5±3.3 years) and 31 parents.

　Both children and their parents were worried about physical handicaps and their future. However, there was a difference in the period of worries between the children and their parents. Twenty-four children (73%) felt anxious about their physical limitation particulary through the period of upper grades in elementary school, junior high school and the following several years, while 30 parents (97%) were deeply concerned about their children's future immediately after delivery. Sixty-seven percent of the children naturally accepted their handicap with positive attitudes. Parents regarded occupational therapy as effective treatment and thought it beneficial that they had been able to exchange their views among other parents who were in similar circumstances.