Parental Decision-Making for Surgery and Anesthesia in Young Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Anesthesia
• Neurodevelopmental Toxicology
• Parental Decision-Making

Background:

• Millions of children annually undergo surgery requiring anesthesia.
• The safety of anesthesia for the developing brain lacks scientific consensus.
• Parental decision-making regarding anesthesia and neurotoxicity is poorly understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explicate the theoretical model of parental anesthesia-related decision-making.
• To understand how neurotoxicity information influences parental choices.
• To develop a framework for parental decision-making in pediatric anesthesia.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative grounded theory analysis of interviews with 24 mothers.
• Exploration of parental narratives surrounding anesthesia decisions.
• Identification of key themes influencing the decision-making process.

Main Results:

• A theoretical model of parental decision-making emerged.
• Five major themes identified: emotional processing, cognitive processing, relationships as resources, the mother/child dyad, and the health care context.
• Mothers described a non-linear, iterative process influenced by medical translators and the mother/child relationship.

Conclusions:

• Parental anesthesia decision-making is a dynamic, multi-faceted process.
• The developed theoretical model provides insight into how mothers navigate complex choices.
• Understanding these factors can improve communication and support for parents making anesthesia decisions for their children.