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How do parents perceive adverse drug events of their children's anticonvulsant medication?

V A Bach1, M P Neininger2, U P Spindler1

  • 1University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Center for Pediatric Research, Liebigstraße 20a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

European Journal of Paediatric Neurology : EJPN : Official Journal of the European Paediatric Neurology Society
|February 25, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Parents frequently fear severe adverse drug events (ADEs) from anticonvulsants, but commonly experience less severe ADEs like sedation, impacting their child's daily life and development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Pharmacovigilance
  • Child Health

Background:

  • Physician reports dominate adverse drug event (ADE) knowledge from clinical trials.
  • Parental perception of pediatric anticonvulsant ADEs remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate parental fears regarding anticonvulsant ADEs in children.
  • To document experienced ADEs and their impact on children's lives from a parental perspective.

Main Methods:

  • Survey conducted in a university hospital's neuropediatric outpatient clinic.
  • Structured interviews with parents of 150 children on anticonvulsant treatment.
  • Questionnaire assessed fears, experienced ADEs, and life implications.

Main Results:

  • 63.3% of parents feared ADEs, primarily liver injury (22%).
  • 86% reported experienced ADEs, notably sedation (43.3%) and behavioral changes (36%).
  • 56% reported significant life implications, with 42% noting negative developmental impact.

Conclusions:

  • A significant gap exists between feared and experienced anticonvulsant ADEs in children.
  • Parents' fears focus on severe outcomes, while experienced ADEs are less severe but impactful.
  • Experienced ADEs negatively affect children's daily lives and development, warranting attention.
Abstract

Keywords:
Adverse drug eventsAnticonvulsantInterviewParentsPerceptionsSocial paediatrics

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