Involvement of Fathers and Siblings in Home Rehabilitation Programs for Children with Neuro-Developmental Delays

Plethora of studies have established the significant role of mothers in caring for children with neuro-developmental delays (NDD), yet there is a notable gap in understanding the contributions of fathers and siblings in these families, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The need for comprehensive family-level therapy for children with NDD has been growing. This study aims to investigate how fathers and siblings engage in home rehabilitation programs for children with NDD.

A scoping review was conducted, and articles were retrieved from PUBMED, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, PEDro, and Google Scholar. 

The results showed the following findings:

• A total of thirty research articles were included in the study. 
• The involvement of fathers and siblings in home-based rehabilitation and caregiving for children with NDD is significantly lower in LMICs compared to high-income countries.
• This disparity can be attributed to economic constraints and prevailing cultural beliefs.
• The limited participation of fathers and siblings contributes to increased stress for mothers and negatively impacts the developmental outcomes for children with NDD.

Thus, the study underscores the relevance of rehabilitation professionals actively promoting the involvement of fathers and siblings in caregiving roles within home rehabilitation programs for children with NDD. Enhancing family participation may alleviate stress on mothers and improve developmental outcomes for affected children.

Source: Madzimbe P, Maart S, Corten L, Dambi J. Participation of fathers and siblings in home rehabilitation programmes for children with neuro-developmental delay: a scoping review. BMC Pediatr. 2024 Oct 14;24(1):659. doi: 10.1186/s12887-024-05119-w. PMID: 39402501; PMCID: PMC11472531.