A global perspective on motherhood of down syndrome children; experiences in Lagos State, Nigeria

Purpose – Conducted in Lagos State, this research study sought to illuminate a cultural and context specific insight into the experiences of seven Nigerian mothers of Down syndrome children. Design/methodology/approach – Adopting a feminist approach, seven mothers aged between 34-67years were purposively sampled from mothers regularly attending the Down Syndrome Foundation of Nigeria in Lagos. Data was collected via in-depth interviewing, which consisted of open-ended questions that were used to explore the individual experiences of these mothers, within a cultural context. Findings – There were six emergent theoretical themes from the study; birth of a child with Down syndrome - a diagnosis; challenges; positive attributes; worry; coping and knowledge gained. Findings from this research are consistent with findings on the experiences of mothers of children in alternative contextual settings. Mothers had no prior knowledge of the abnormality until they had a child with Down syndrome. The formal diagnosis was related to a process of grief characterised by depression and eventual acceptance. During the course of rearing their child, mothers face challenging situations such as financial problems, behavioural problems, and medical challenges. Moreover, mothers reported that these challenges had an impact on their health. Positive impact included family relationships, religion, and spirituality and specific support groups. Mothers indicated that the absence of government support, societal acceptance and finances made the journey of rearing a child with Down syndrome in Nigeria more challenging. Research limitations/implications – This is a small scale study which is intended to illuminate the lives of women raising children in a culturally and contextually specific region. Practical implications – This study highlights the stories of seven women, it highlights the need for further investigation to see how far generalisable to a wider population these findings are. Originality/value – To date there have been no studies of the experience of raising children with Down syndrome in this culturally specific region. The study provides a unique insight from a feminist perspective into the lives of women living in Lagos State, Nigeria.