Being a parent with visual impairment: A systematic review

Abstract

It is largely the parents’ responsibility to meet the care needs of children. The fact that one of or both parents have a disability affects the child's care. Objective: The aim of the study was to summarize up-to-date scientific knowledge related to experiences of visually impaired parents who care for their children and the strategies they use. Study Group: Visually impaired parents. Methods: A systematic review of the qualitative studies published between 2009 and 2019 was conducted. Pubmed, Medline, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, and Scholar Google databases were used for the literature review of this article. Results: A total of seven publications met the inclusion criteria. Studies showed that parents with visual impairment have problems regarding the protection of their child’s health, child's safety and nutrition, the applications related to child care (hygienic care), transport of the child from one place to another, and drug applications. Studies showed that parents with visual impairment face various difficulties, have problems and different experiences during the care of their children. Conclusions: Although it is seen that parents have developed strategies regarding the care of their children with their own efforts, the relevant experts and health professionals can take on more roles in the further development of these strategies. The fact that researchers from different cultures carry out more studies on this subject will also be guiding for health professionals. © Nova Science Publishers, Inc.