Mothers' perceptions of fever in children. Promoting evidence-based childhood fever management through a peer education programme based on the theory of planned behaviour. First febrile convulsions: inquiry about the knowledge, attitudes and concerns of the patients’ mothers The impact of fever health education on clinic utilization. What Greek mothers know about evaluation and treatment of fever in children: an interview study. Fever education: Does it reduce parent fever anxiety? A study of parent/grandparent education for managing a febrile illness using the CALM approach. Parents’fear regarding fever and febrile seizures Febrile seizures and parental anxiety: does information help? The quality of written information for parents regarding the management of a febrile convulsion: a randomized controlled trial. [Parents' attitudes towards childhood fever. A cross-sectional survey in the Lyon metropolitan area (202 cases)]. Fever therapy: an educational intervention for parents. Effects of an educational program on parents with febrile convulsive children.
The fever is one of the commonest symptoms of disease in childhood . A mother 's knowledge and conception of fever may determine the degree of her anxiety and fear , and reflect on the way the fever is managed at home . Our underst and ing of mothers ' attitudes may help to improve the home management of fever by correcting unrealistic beliefs . Mothers of 100 children were r and omly selected and interviewed to answer a question naire about fever . Sixty mothers thought that fever could lead to death , others thought that it might lead to paralysis , mental retardation or brain damage . This may explain their undue anxiety and fear when having a child with fever . Cold exposure , teething , exposure to sunlight and having a warm drink were considered as causes . A minority reduced the child 's clothes during fever . Tap water sprinkling and occasionally alcohol were used . Ninety-four mothers used  antipyretics  , all used  paracetamol  and 23 per cent used  aspirin .  Sixty two used  antibiotics indiscriminately . Improved health education is required to allay mothers fear and anxiety and promote a more appropriate fever management at home AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study examined effectiveness of a theoretically based education programme in reducing inappropriate antipyretic use in fever management . BACKGROUND Paediatric nurses ' inconsistent , ritualistic antipyretic use in fever management is influenced by many factors including inconsistent beliefs and parental requests . Determinants of antipyretic administration , identified by the theory of planned behaviour , were belief-based attitudes and subjective norms . DESIGN A quasi-experiment explored group effects of a peer education programme , based on the theory of planned behaviour , on factors influencing paediatric nurses ' antipyretic administration . Surveys and chart audits collected data from medical wards at experimental and control hospitals one month pre and one and four months postpeer education programme .  METHODS All nurses employed in targeted wards were eligible to participate in surveys and all eligible charts were audited . The peer education programme consisted of four one-hour sessions targeting evidence -based knowledge , myths and misconceptions , normative , attitudinal and control influences over and rehearsal of evidence -based fever management .  All nurses in experimental hospital targeted wards were eligible to attend .  Peer education and support facilitated session information reaching those unable to attend sessions . RESULTS Two-way univariate anovas explored between subject , experimental and control group and within subject factors , pre , post and latency data . Significant interactions in normative influence ( p = 0.01 ) and intentions ( p = 0.01 ) , a significant main group effect in control influence ( p = 0.01 ) and a significant main effect between audit data across time points ( p = 0.03 ) highlight peer education programme effectiveness in behaviour change . Normative , control and intention changes postpeer education programme were maintained in latency data ; mean temperature was not . CONCLUSION The peer education programme , based on a behaviour change theory , initiated and maintained evidence -based intentions for antipyretics use in fever management . RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The promotion of evidence -based change in organizational unit intentions and behaviour highlights the crucial role peer support and education can play in continuing educational programmes In comparison with other diseases , febrile convulsion , despite its excellent prognosis , is a cause of high anxiety among mothers . The objective of our study was to evaluate the knowledge , concerns , attitudes and practice s of the mothers of children with first febrile convulsion . A prospect i ve question naire-based study was carried out at the Mofid Children ’s Hospital . One hundred and twenty-six mothers of consecutive children presenting with febrile convulsion were enrolled . Only 58 ( 46 % ) mothers recognised the convulsion . Forty-nine ( 39 % ) of them interpreted the seizure as death . Others interpreted it as other causes . Eighty-five ( 68 % ) parents did not carry out any intervention prior to getting the child to the hospital . The most common cause of concern among parents was the state of their child ’s health in the future ( n = 120 , 95 % ) , followed by the fear of recurrence ( n = 83 , 66 % ) , mental retardation ( n = 60 , 48 % ) , paralysis ( n = 39 , 31 % ) , physical disability ( n = 37 , 30 % ) and learning dysfunction ( n = 28 , 22 % ) . In 41 ( 33 % ) mothers , there were other causes of concerns , including fear of visual defect , hearing loss , memory loss , brain defect , delay in walking , drug adverse effects , coma and death . Sixty-eight percent of mothers had acceptable information about the measures that should be taken to prevent recurrence . Awareness of preventive measures was higher in mothers with high educational level ( P < 0.01 ) . Seventy-six percent of mothers did not know anything about the necessary measures in case of recurrence . From this study , we conclude that parental fear of febrile convulsion is a major problem , with serious negative consequences affecting daily familial life We evaluated the ability of an office health education program to ( 1 ) increase  parental knowledge about fever in children , ( 2 ) improve parental satisfaction with services , and ( 3 ) affect the number of fever-associated clinic visits .  R and omly selected experimental and control groups differed only in that the former group viewed a slide-tape presentation . Testing of population sample s before and after the presentation disclosed a highly significant improvement in knowledge about fever in the experimental population that persisted for almost 6 months . Monitoring of subsequent clinic visits revealed a 30 % to 35 % decrease in visits for fever and a 20 % to 25 % decrease in all visits for acute problems . These findings suggest that an audiovisual health education intervention can significantly improve patient confidence in managing fever as reflected by decreased clinic visits . This program is potentially useful in both the office and clinic in a health maintenance organization setting BACKGROUND Fever is one of the most common symptoms in childhood . Mothers ' insufficient knowledge about its evaluation and treatment frequently leads to excessive fear and anxiety . OBJECTIVES To explore mothers ' knowledge concerning management of  fever in their children , at home . DESIGN Descriptive , correlational . SETTING S An emergency department of a pediatric hospital . PARTICIPANTS A total of 327 mothers with febrile children r and omly selected in the waiting room . METHODS Data collection was based on interviews by using a question naire which was specifically developed for this study . RESULTS Almost one out of three mothers ( 32.4 % ) evaluated fever as a temperature between 37 - 38 degrees C and the 38.1 % of them considered that side effects could be a result of these temperatures . The majority of the mothers ( 73.7 % ) administered antipyretics at body temperatures of 37 - 38.5 degrees C , usually without a medical instruction ( 49.2 % ) . Younger mothers with lower education levels and those who admitted to hospital for the first time with children less than 12 months of age showed the poorest level of Knowledge about fever evaluation and treatment . CONCLUSIONS Educational interventions by health care professionals aim ing at educating young mothers with a low educational level and those with a child younger than 12 months old who seek medical attention at hospital , for the first time , are needed to dispel misconceptions about fever and to promote the appropriate management of the febrile child Objective The aims of the study were to determine the following : 1 ) if a fever education program ( interactive or written ) reduces parent fever anxiety ; 2 ) if an interactive fever program was more effective as a teaching style than st and ard written material alone ; and 3 ) if a fever program increases parent fever home management and reduces return emergency department ( ED ) visits . Method A quasiexperimental , pretest and post-test pilot study examining parental fever anxiety was conducted at The Children ’s Hospital of Philadelphia . Eligible participants consisted of 87 parents and their children , aged 3 months to 5 years presenting with fever > 38.4 ° C , and without coexisting serious illness . Results Both the interactive fever education program and the st and ard written fever pamphlet were equally effective as teaching methods . Data revealed a 30 % reduction in fever anxiety rated as moderate-severe on arrival to none-low post-fever education , increased parent fever home management skills with correct use of thermometer and antipyretics , and reduced unnecessary return ED visits . Conclusion Parents in the acute and nonacute care setting may benefit from an interactive fever education program that includes the definition and benefit of fever , the correct use of a thermometer , fever home management skills , and appropriate fever telephone follow-up INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of fever management education in increasing knowledge , confidence , comfort , and satisfaction of the parent/gr and parent . METHOD A r and omized repeated measures design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational brochure and video . After baseline data were collected on parent/gr and parents of children receiving st and ard care , each site was r and omized into two groups : Group 1 parents were given a video and brochure about fever management as they left the clinic/office ; Group 2 were shown the video and given the brochure before seeing their health care provider . The parent/gr and parents of 216 children , mean age 21.8 months , completed the Fever Management Question naire ( FMQ ) at 48 - 72 hours , 1 , 3 , and 6 months post-education . RESULTS Knowledge scores of parents/gr and parents in both CALM groups were significantly higher than those in the control group at 48 hours and 1-month post-visit . By 6 months , the knowledge level of the parent/gr and parents in CALM2 , those who viewed the video in the office , was significantly different from the other two groups . Satisfaction , comfort , and confidence of all three groups were high at all three points . Parents/gr and parents in both CALM groups were highly satisfied with the education they received . DISCUSSION Educating parent/gr and parents about fever management using written and video material s is effective in increasing knowledge about fever management van Stuijvenberg M , de Vos S , Tjiang GCH , Steyerberg EW , Derksen‐Lubsen G , Moll HA . Parents'fear regarding fever and febrile seizures . Acta Pædiatr 1999 ; 88 : 618‐22 . Stockholm . ISSN AIM OF THE STUDY To investigate the effect of febrile seizures on the behaviour and emotional situation of parents in order to improve our attitude towards these children and parents in future . METHODS We analysed 135 question naires on  parents ' behaviour and emotional situation during and after a  febrile seizure in their children . RESULTS Febrile seizures were unknown to 44 % of the parents . 121 parents ( 91 % ) reported severe anxiety  on witnessing the first febrile seizure . In 69 % the anxiety was so strong , that the parents believed their child would die . Severe anxiety was significantly associated with lack of knowledge about febrile seizures : 79 % ( no knowledge of febrile seizures ) versus 59 % ( with knowledge ) . The level of anxiety appeared to be associated with low educational level , but not with ethnic background or income . CONCLUSIONS Our study shows that knowledge of febrile seizures among concerned parents in our region remains insufficient . The results are ambiguous . On the one h and we found an association between severe anxiety and lack of knowledge on febrile seizures , suggesting that information prior to the first febrile seizure might reduce the anxiety level and thus lead to appropriate reactions in case of recurrence . On the other h and although parents knew about febrile seizures , they still had very high anxiety levels and would react inappropriately in case of recurrence . Therefore if information is provided to parents , it must be specific , especially about which measures are to be taken or avoided respectively . A prospect i ve study to observe positive and negative effects of preventive information is needed AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To identify whether providing a new information leaflet for parents regarding the management of a febrile convulsion  was more effective in comparison with st and ard leaflets . BACKGROUND Although information leaflets are frequently recommended within healthcare , their quality is often poor . Furthermore , the evidence regarding the effectiveness of leaflets is inconsistent . Few studies have evaluated the effects of providing leaflets that have been developed to improve their quality . Within the specialty of paediatrics , parents are often unprepared regarding the management of febrile convulsion at home and the provision of supplementary leaflets is recommended , despite limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of this approach . There is also limited evidence regarding whether improving the quality of these leaflets leads to better outcomes , e.g. increasing parents ' behavioural knowledge . DESIGN Double-blind r and omized controlled trial . METHOD One hundred and twenty-six parents of children hospitalized due to benign febrile convulsion were recruited ( May 2000-February 2002 ) . Seventy-one parents were r and omized to receive the st and ard care ( control leaflet ) and 55 parents received the intervention ( new leaflet ) .  Data were collected from parents on discharge immediately prior to receiving the intervention and 7 - 14 days following the intervention via telephone interview . RESULTS Parents who received the new leaflet found this to be more reassuring and easier to underst and than parents who received the control leaflet . No differences between groups were identified regarding the primary outcome , i.e. behavioural knowledge and most of the secondary outcomes , e.g. perceived confidence , state anxiety and satisfaction with the leaflet . CONCLUSION Although this study provides modest support for the effectiveness of providing high- quality leaflets , further research is required to determine the best methods for optimizing the effectiveness of leaflets provided at hospital discharge . RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE The quality of leaflets may influence some outcomes , e.g. underst and ing and reassurance with the written information provided ; however , additional strategies to inform parents may be necessary INTRODUCTION The patient overload in pediatric healthcare facilities is caused in part by parents bringing their children in for consultations for fever . We conducted a survey in the Lyon metropolitan area to improve our underst and ing of parents ' attitudes towards their children 's fever . OBJECTIVE To assess the frequency and characteristics of healthcare utilization and evaluate parents ' knowledge and attitudes before consulting . METHODS A r and om sample of families with at least one child under 6 years of age and living in the Lyon metropolitan area was surveyed by telephone , according to a closed question naire that was answered by the person usually responsible for the child 's health . RESULTS 202 families were question ed : 58.9 % defined fever as a temperature over 38 degrees C , and 82 % used  rectal thermometers  to measure temperature . Among 144 parents of children with an episode of fever within the previous 12 months , 73 % called a physician during the episode , 44 % of them immediately . Working-class parents  called more frequently ( 90 % ) than parents who were professionals or managers ( 74 % ) . Most parents ( 94 % ) administered medication to the child several times before calling the physician .  Paracetamol and ibuprofen  were mentioned most often . 93 % of fever episodes led to consultations . DISCUSSION Our results show that 59 % of the sample defined fever as a temperature equal to 38 degrees C and that fever episodes lead commonly and quickly to physician visits , but that parents do use physical methods and drugs to reduce fever before calling a physician Fever in children is a common problem , but one which often alarms parents . Parental misconceptions often lead them to unnecessarily aggressive and inappropriate management of fever in their children . A prospect i ve controlled trial of an educational intervention to improve parental underst and ing and management of fever , involving the parents of 108 children , aged 6 months to 4 years , was performed in a private group practice . Although the majority of these patients were well educated , most were found to be misinformed about many aspects of the seriousness of fever and its management . Parents in the intervention group received a st and ardized interview in which the management of fever was discussed , demonstrated , and practice d. In addition , they received a printed information sheet for reinforcement 2 months after the initial interview . Parents in both the control group and intervention group revealed an increase in knowledge about fever over time , but only in the intervention group were inappropriate physician contacts and medication errors reduced . The effectiveness of an active learning approach to anticipatory guidance for the management of transient febrile illness was documented and it is suggested that extension of this approach to other common problems in the private practice setting be examined The purpose of this study was to characterize the effects of an educational program on knowledge , attitude , concern , and first-aid measures among parents with febrile convulsive children . All parents completed a pretest question naire 3 weeks before the meeting . The parents were assigned r and omly into experimental ( n = 65 ) and control ( n = 64 ) groups on the day they attended the program . The control group completed the identical question naire ( posttest ) before the program , whereas the experimental group completed the same posttest after the program . In pretest , most parents considered electroencephalogram or computed tomography necessary in evaluating their children , suggested that immunization be postponed , and rated the risk of subsequent epilepsy as high for their children . Most of them favored frequent body temperature measurement , were very anxious about further febrile convulsion episodes during the night , and were fever phobic . After education , although only a slight change in fever anxiety was found , the experimental group showed significant improvement in knowledge , attitude , concerns , and anticipatory practice of febrile convulsion compared with the control group . In conclusion the parents '  poor knowledge , negative attitudes , anxiety , and inadequate first-aid measures toward febrile convulsion can be effectively improved by an educational intervention program
BACKGROUND " Fever phobia " has been identified as a common problem among parents , and may result in unnecessary use of medical facilities , overuse and inappropriate dosage of antipyretics , and unnecessary parental anxiety .
Current research findings support the cl aim that parents have serious misconceptions , misinformation , and limited skills regarding fever management .
OBJECTIVE The objective of this review was to determine what educational interventions are effective in influencing parents to provide effective care for their febrile child .