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Parents' fear regarding fever and febrile seizures
M van Stuijvenberg1, S de Vos, G C Tjiang
1Department of Paediatrics, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Parental fear of fever and febrile seizures is common, impacting daily life. Providing adequate information can significantly reduce this fear, especially for at-risk groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Child Health
- Parental Education
Background:
- Parental understanding of fever and febrile seizures is crucial for effective management.
- High levels of parental fear regarding fever and febrile seizures can negatively impact family well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate parental perceptions and knowledge regarding fever and febrile seizures.
- To identify factors associated with parental fear of fever and febrile seizures.
- To explore the impact of parental fear on daily family life and potential interventions.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire study was conducted among parents (n=230) participating in a randomized controlled trial.
- Data collected from 181 parents (79% response rate) on their perceptions, knowledge, and experiences with fever and febrile seizures.
- Statistical analysis to identify associations between fear levels and demographic factors or behaviors.
Main Results:
- 45% of parents reported significant fear of fever, strongly linked to fear of febrile seizures.
- Parents of children with a non-West European background exhibited higher levels of fear.
- Consequences included frequent temperature monitoring, co-sleeping, and sleep disruption.
- A majority perceived febrile seizures as dangerous, with 47% believing their child was dying during an event.
- Reassuring information was cited by 21% as a factor in reducing perceived harm.
Conclusions:
- Parental fear of fever and febrile seizures presents a significant challenge, affecting family routines.
- Effective information provision is key to mitigating parental anxiety and improving understanding.
- Targeted information delivery during healthcare interactions is recommended, with extra attention for parents of non-West European origin.
Abstract:
In order to improve the effectiveness of information, we studied parents' perceptions and knowledge about fever and febrile seizures. A questionnaire study was carried out among the parents whose children (n = 230) participated in a randomized controlled trial of ibuprofen to prevent recurrent febrile seizures. Of the 230 parents, 181 (79%) responded to the questionnaire. Of all parents, 45% were afraid or very afraid of fever, which was strongly associated with being afraid of recurrent febrile seizures. Parents of children with a non-West European background were more afraid. The consequences of parental fear included frequent temperature measurements (25% measured five times per day or more), sleeping in the same room (24%) and 13% remained awake at night. Witnessing a febrile seizure is a frightening experience for parents; a majority thought that febrile seizures were harmful, because they look dangerous. Forty-seven percent thought that their child was dying during the initial febrile seizure. On the other hand, reassuring information may be helpful: 21% mentioned it as their reason to consider febrile seizures not harmful. We conclude that parental fear of fever and febrile seizures is a major problem with several negative consequences for daily family life. Adequate provision of information may reduce parental fear. We suggest that information about fever and febrile seizures should be provided to all parents, preferably during their contact with the providers of preventive healthcare. The parents of children with a non-West European origin need extra attention.