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Home management of fever in children: rational or ritual?
Y A al-Eissa1, F A al-Zamil, A M al-Sanie
1Department of Paediatrics, King Fahad National Guard Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Insights
Many parents lack knowledge on recognizing and managing childhood fever, leading to improper home care. Educating parents on fever definition, temperature checks, and medication is crucial for effective child health management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Childhood fever is common, but parental fears often lead to incorrect management.
- Unrealistic parental fears regarding fever necessitate an understanding of current knowledge gaps.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess parental knowledge regarding the home management of fever in children.
- To identify specific areas of misinformation among parents concerning fever recognition and treatment.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted with parents of 560 febrile children in Riyadh.
- Data was collected using a standardized questionnaire in outpatient clinics and emergency rooms.
- Interviewees were primarily mothers aged 20-39, with varying educational backgrounds.
Main Results:
- Despite high education levels, most parents showed poor understanding of fever definition and recognition.
- Knowledge deficits were evident regarding appropriate antipyretic dosage, temperature thresholds for intervention, and sponging techniques.
- Parents demonstrated a lack of understanding concerning the correct frequency for temperature monitoring and medication administration.
- Only about one-third of parents reported receiving adequate education from healthcare providers.
Conclusions:
- Significant educational gaps exist among parents concerning the appropriate home management of childhood fever.
- Targeted educational interventions by healthcare providers are essential to improve parental knowledge and practices.
- Addressing parental misconceptions about fever is critical for ensuring the safe and effective care of febrile children.
Abstract:
Fever is extremely common in childhood. Parents have been shown to have unrealistic fears, resulting in inappropriate management of fever in their children. This study was conducted to survey parents about their knowledge concerning home management of fever in children in their care. Parents of 560 febrile children were randomly recruited and interviewed in the waiting areas of the outpatient clinics or emergency room in four hospitals in Riyadh city using a standard questionnaire. Most of the interviewees were mothers, aged within 20-39 years. Although more than one-half of fathers and one-third of mothers in the study were well educated, most were misinformed about recognition and definition of fever. Most parents had poor knowledge regarding minimum temperatures for administering correct doses of antipyretic drugs or for sponging/bathing with water of the correct temperature. Most parents demonstrated a poor understanding of the appropriate frequency for checking the child's temperature and administering antipyretics. Only one-third of parents indicated a reasonable educational imprint by health-care providers. Considerable efforts will be required to educate parents about fever and its management.
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