Abstract
A significant amount of research has been conducted on children with visual impairments. Visual impairments may occur for a variety of reasons and are known to impact the relationship that a child forms with his or her primary caregiver, usually the mother. However, little information is known about how a young child’s visual impairment impacts maternal identity or a mother’s ability to bond with her child.\r In this study, eight mothers with one child (under the age of three) with a visual impairment and at least one sighted child (over the age of three) participated in audiotaped interviews to explore how their child’s visual impairment impacted feeding time and their bonding experience when compared to those experienced with their older, sighted child. Through the use of a semi-structured interview guide, participants were prompted to discuss issues related to feeding, bonding, maternal identity and response to diagnosis. Eight primary themes emerged from the interviews which focused on changes in maternal identity, response to the diagnosis, differences in maternal expectation and the extent to which mothers depend on mutual gaze during feeding time to establish feelings of closeness. \r The mothers who participated in our study reported that the lack of mutual gaze and reciprocal emotions significantly impacted the bonding process. However, they developed strategies for relying on other senses to increase feelings of closeness with their child. The degree to which mothers felt that their child’s visual impairment impacted their ability to bond with their child demonstrates that this topic should be addressed when giving a new diagnosis. Medical providers should be aware of the complex psychological implications that a young child’s visual impairment can have on a mother and be prepared to address them.