Selfcare in child and young Down syndrome patients

Introduction and objective: The care and self-care in the oral health of children and young people with Down syndrome are associated especially with the social imaginary of parents, caregivers and children about the care of your senses salud. Understand the meanings of self-care and oral and interpret the perceptions of children, youth and significant adults responsible for their care about it. Materials and methods: Qualitative study with a hermeneutic approach. Involved 34 children and young people and significant adults in a specialized institution Antioquia Colombia. The data collection was performed by the use of participatory methodologies and playful. The process of data analysis consisted of the condensation of the data from the exercise of open and axial coding. Results: Two categories emerged: the senses of oral self-care concept linked to the implementation of practices to prevent disease and mouth with a connotation related to the affective. The second category, perceptions of care, show the lack of autonomy in children and young people to make self-care practices, and parents, social representations about the inability of children and young people to take their own care. Forma de citar: Ochoa EM, Pineda-Velez E, Cortes C, Cano LF, Diaz JM, Garcia Espinosa PE. Autocuidado bucal en ninos/as y jovenes con sindrome de down. Rev. CES Odont. 2013; 26(2) 59-66 Rev. CES Odont 2013; 26(2) 59-66 Articulos Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica de Revista CES Odontologia ISSN 0120-971X Volumen 26 No. 2 Segundo Semestre de 2013 60 Conclusions: It is necessary to develop leading to the transformation of imaginary disqualifying children and young people with Down syndrome as actors in their care educational processes. Also work for the recognition of diversity, that this population develop skills for independent, dignified and healthy life.