QUALITY OF FAMILY CARE AND ITS EFFECT ON THE NEURODEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN WITH HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Objective: To assess the effect of the quality of family care on the neurodevelopment of children aged 3-6 years infected with HIV/AIDS. Materials and Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional research in a sample of 20 dyads between family caregivers and their children diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, hospitalized in health institutions in the city of Lima, Peru. Neurodevelopment was assessed using the Abbreviated Developmental Scale 3 (ADS-3) and the quality of family care with the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory. Results: Between 30% and 40% of the children are at risk of neurodevelopmental delay in all the dimensions evaluated: gross and fine motor skills, hearing, language, and personal and social areas. When assessing the quality of care and its effect on the neurodevelopment of the children, a positive and significant correlation (p<0.05) was obtained between both variables. The acceptance and learning materials dimensions of the HOME inventory had the greatest influence on the neurodevelopment of the children. Conclusions: The quality of family care for children with HIV/AIDS had a positive effect on the neurodevelopment of the children in the study sample. The ADS-3 and the HOME inventory are useful tools that can be easily and quickly applied for the timely assessment of the level of neurodevelopment and quality of family care in children.