Abstract
This study investigated the hope that parents have for the independence of children who have had congenital heart disease since infancy. Parents were asked open-ended questions concerning the degree of independence that they hope their child develops of the questionnaires mailed to 2000 parents, 424 responses were obtained and analyzed using Berelson's content analysis method, and the results were categorized as follows: four categories for infants, including "behave depending on disease and physical condition" and "prevent infection"; seven categories for school-age children, including "prevent infection", and "explain to neighbors and call for help"; nine categories for adolescents, including "prevent infection" and "socially independent"; and three categories for young adults, including "self-administration of health", "socially independent" and "prevent infection". Results from this study suggest that parents consider children who are able to call neighbors for help independent. Furthermore, when thinking about the independence of a child, parents should accept their roles and trust in their experience to allow them to recognize the growing independence of the child and support it properly.
