How many parents should we let into the operating room?

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Anesthesia
• Child Psychology
• Family-Centered Care

Background:

• Anesthesia induction can be a stressful period for children and their families.
• Parental presence during anesthesia induction is a common practice, but the optimal number of parents is debated.
• Family-centered care models emphasize involving families in medical procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the anxiety levels of children undergoing anesthesia induction with one versus two parents present.
• To assess the impact of the number of parents present on child compliance during anesthesia induction.
• To evaluate parental anxiety levels in relation to the number of parents present.

Main Methods:

• Randomized assignment of parents to either a one-parent or two-parent group.
• Utilized validated and reliable tools to measure child and parent anxiety.
• Assessed child observed anxiety and compliance, alongside parent self-reported anxiety.

Main Results:

• No significant difference was found in observed child anxiety or compliance between the one-parent and two-parent groups.
• Parents in the two-parent group reported significantly lower anxiety levels compared to those in the one-parent group (M = 39.7 vs M = 48.6, P < 0.02).
• A significant group by time interaction was observed for parent anxiety.

Conclusions:

• The presence of two parents during anesthesia induction does not negatively affect child anxiety or compliance.
• Allowing two parents in the operating room can significantly reduce parental self-reported anxiety.
• Institutions should consider implementing policies that permit multiple parents during invasive procedures to support family-centered care.