Witnessing the birth of a sibling-Looking at drawings to understand the possible effects on children
| Autor: | Cheryl Okubo, Naomi Kano, Hatsumi Yanagisawa, Chihoko Sankai |
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| Rok vydání: | 2008 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Journal of Japan Academy of Midwifery. 22:233-248 |
| ISSN: | 1882-4307 0917-6357 |
| Popis: | The present study attempts to reveal the effects on children of being with their mothers during the birth of a sibling. The literature shows overall positive effects for fathers attending birth, however very little research has been done about how children are affected by witnessing birth. With the growing trend for entire families to take part in the birth experience, the authors believe it necessary to assess possible impacts on children from such practice before arbitrarily encouraging families to include children in the labor and birth experience.Because young children often express themselves more freely through imagery than through language, drawings were used to assess the effects that witnessing birth had on children. Drawings were collected before, during, and after a sibling's birth from 24 children between the ages of two and twelve. The artwork was then examined from two different perspectives: an overview and a case study.I An overall look at the artwork indicated no signs of trauma or shock. There seemed to be three patterns or tendencies for children as they drew in their sketchbooks during a two- month period; rendering drawings with more detail, about the same, or less organized. Half the children in this study drew pictures that became more detailed following the birth of their sibling. Eight others produced drawings with no significant changes. Drawings which tended to change towards regression-that is becoming more chaotic or less developed-after the birth were evident in four of the children.II An in-depth look was given to the artwork of one boy who seemed to be negatively impacted by witnessing his mother's very difficult labor. In this case study, one can see how initial anxiety, surprise and fear gradually transform into his search for a new path, or way, to co-exist with the new baby in his home.The results of this research show that family support seems to be a larger factor impacting siblings than actually witnessing birth itself. In addition, a tendency for very young children and boys in particular to be distressed by hearing and seeing their mother in pain was noted. In response to this, certain precautions are recommended in order to prepare children for the reality of childbirth and ensure a positive experience for everyone involved. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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