Exploring Lived Experiences of Families of Children With Spinal Muscular Atrophy(SMA) Type 1 Regarding Feeding and Communication

Lived Experiences of Families of Children With Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1: A Qualitative Investigation Into Feeding and Communication

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 (SMA )Type 1 is a severe, early-onset neuromuscular condition that typically leads to profound weakness and impaired bulbar function-affecting swallowing, feeding, speech, and airway protection. Historically, bulbar decline contributed significantly to early morbidity and mortality.

The advent of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) such as nusinersen, zolgensma and risdiplam (also known as Spinraza, Zolgensma, and Evrysdi) sinersinhas altered the clinical course of SMA Type 1, with emerging evidence of motor improvement and increased survival. However, the impact of these therapies on bulbar function remains poorly understood, and standardised tools for its assessment are lacking.

Qualitative research which uses interviews with parents and carers offers an opportunity to capture nuanced caregiver perspectives, identify meaningful functional outcomes, and explore daily lived experiences in a way quantitative tools currently cannot.

This study will investigate the lived experiences of families managing feeding and communication in children with SMA Type 1.

The research will also aim to

1 Identify emotional, social issues experienced by families and practical support needs related to feeding and communication.

2. Provide insights that can inform healthcare interventions and support

Methodology This study will adopt a qualitative phenomenological approach to gain in-depth insights into the experiences of families of children with SMA Type 1. It is anticipated that the study will interview 10-15 participants, the numbers will be determined by how many parents need to be interviewed to reach the point of saturation i.e. the point at which no new themes arise. The interviews will be aim to be inductive and discursive.

Prior to the interview parents will have received the information leaflet and consent form. A broad interview guide will be used to enable the interviewer to ensure all areas are covered within each interview, whilst providing flexibility to ensure all participant feedback is gathered. The interviews will be recorded digitally.

Participants The study will be advertised on the SMAUK website and their other social media platforms. Families will be invited to contact the CI if they are interested in taking part. Participants will be caregivers (parents, guardians) of children diagnosed with SMA Type 1.

The CI will then contact the potential participants and share the full information sheet and consent form. The participant will then complete and return the consent form and the PI will contact them to arrange a time for the interview. Interviews are expected to last approximately 60 minutes.

Data Collection The CI will carry out semi-structured interviews conducted via video conferencing, focusing on feeding and communication experiences. Interviews will be recorded, and questions will be based upon a broad interview guide to ensure all key areas are covered whilst being flexible to enable participants to share their experiences.

Data Analysis Recordings from interviews will be transcribed using Thematic Analysis (Braun and Clarke 2006)Thematic analysis software will be used to support the identification of recurring patterns and themes. Coding consistency will be checked by another researcher who will recode an anonymised random sample of the transcriptions.

Ethical Considerations: Informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The study will adhere to ethical guidelines to ensure confidentiality, voluntary participation, and sensitivity to emotional distress.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Parents/guardians of children with a diagnosis of SMA1 who have received any one or more disease modifying therapies[CE7.1][BA7.2][AB7.3]
• Participants need to be able to carry out interview in English In addition to parents, grandparents or other relatives with full parental responsibility will be included

Exclusion Criteria:

• Parents/carers who require an interpreter will not be included within the study for reasons of time and cost and because parents may feel less able to be open and honest when communicating with the researcher through a third party.
• Primary carer who is a foster carer or corporate parent (i.e. a looked after child) as they are not likely to have the same decision-making 'freedoms'.