Structural barriers of mothering handling in the children with cerebral palsy at home

Back ground and Aim: Mothering handling plays an important role in the daily life of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and their mothers. Moreover, the greatest amount of handling of children with CP is done by the mothers and at home. Therefore, the present study was conducted to explore the structural barriers of mothering handling in the children with CP at home.
The current qualitative study was conducted following grounded theory methodology. The purposeful sampling followed by theoretical sampling. Selection of participants continued to achieve theoretical saturation. Data was gathered from 26 individual interviews with 14 caregivers of children with CP, 3 children with CP, 5 occupational therapists, 1 physiotherapist, and 3 rehabilitation managers in Tehran. The main source of data collection was in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Data was analyzed based on Corbin and Straus method (2008).
Five categories/themes emerged from the data, including factors related to caregivers, child, therapist, community, and governmental organizations.
Understanding the barriers of caring for a child with CP and experiences of mothers when engaged in handling with their child can also help them to be empowered to achieve the proper management and effective handling. The results of the present research could provide broader perspective to therapists, rehabilitation managers, and policy makers for understanding the needs and meeting the challenges and concerns of caregivers and children with CP for a comprehensive plan for handling of children with CP.