The aim of the project is to explore parents’ experiences of raising children with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection. Despite the well-documented impact of cCMV on children’s development and health, there is limited knowledge about how the diagnosis affects parents’ everyday lives, perceived burden, and functional capacity. This study seeks to address this gap by examining how parents perceive their child’s development and needs, the challenges they encounter in family life, and how they manage their life situation.
The project employs a qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with 10–12 parents in Sweden of children aged 7–12 years with cCMV. Participants will be recruited through habilitation services, audiological rehabilitation services, and social media. Interviews will be conducted via Zoom and recorded using an external audio recorder. The audio files will be transcribed using locally installed AI-based technology (KB-Whisper). The data will be analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify key themes, concepts, and patterns in parents’ experiences.
The project is expected to contribute with important new knowledge, to inform the development of support interventions and improve healthcare practices for families affected by cCMV infection.