| Summary: | Abstract Objective This study aims to assess the emotional impacts of the baby’s physical disability on the mother. Method It is an exploratory investigation carried on with two mother-infant dyads, only one of which gave birth to a physically disabled baby, both participating in a larger case-control investigation. The tools used included the Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories, the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire as well as semi-structured interviews. Results Both mothers showed similar reports and parenting levels, but the one whose baby had a disability scored higher on anxiety and depression, in connection with the baby’s low level of development. Conclusion It is concluded that, in order to achieve the same levels of a typical parenting condition, greater adaptation mechanisms are required.
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