A Pilot Study of Mother-Child Interactions in Children with Bronchial Asthma

Abstract

The mother-child interactions in children with bronchial asthma were studied in five pairs. Each mother-child pair was videotaped in two 42-minute play-sessions. Detailed four-second interval analysis of behaviour patterns in each interacting dyad was obtained. Computer-analyzed behaviour samples were compared with those obtained from a control group of eight nonasthmatic children and their mothers. All children involved in the study ranged between the ages of 1-3/4 and 4 years. A significant difference was found in the ambivalent status variable in the asthmatic children's group as compared with the control group.

The extreme interactional patterns were identified in the asthma pairs. A series of eight weekly instruction sessions provided the mother an opportunity to correct some of her behaviours while engaged in playing with her child. Pre-and post-instructional analysis of the interactions between mother and asthmatic child provided a measure of any significant behaviour changes. The method of instructing the mother to modify her behaviour via a radio intercommunication device while she was playing with her child was shown to be an effective therapeutic tool.