FEBRILE CONVULSIONS IN CHILDREN

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES OF PARENTS

Abstract

O b j e c t i v e s : (i) To know about the knowledge, attitude and practices of parents of children with febrile convulsions, (ii) To provide
adequate information of relationship between fever and febrile convulsions and its usual good prognosis. D e s i g n : Descriptive study. S e t t i n g :
It was conducted at Pediatric Department of Madina Teaching Hospital Sargodha Road Faisalabad. P e r i o d : Two years period from January
2007-2009. M A T E R I A L A N D M E T H O D S : 150 parents and their children with febrile convulsions were included in the study. Diagnosis was
made on the basis of a history of a convulsion in the child with a febrile illness. Cases were excluded when there was doubt about the
occurrence of convulsions, or if the child previously had convulsions due to any other cause, or if the physical examination or laboratory
parameters suggested any other etiology for the convulsions. LP was done in case of first time febrile fits. A pretested questionnaire comprising
of 12 questions was used for the study. Data was presented through frequency table. Statistical test of significance was Chi-square test. The
data was analyzed with the help of SPSS computer program EQS 10 N. R e s u l t s : in the study 83 parents (59.3%) could not recognize the
convulsion; 127 parents (90.7%) did not carry out any intervention prior to getting the child to the hospital. 109 (77.9%) parents did not know
the facts that the convulsion can occur due to fever. For 56 (40%) of the parents every subsequent episode of fever was like a nightmare. Only
21 parents (15%) had thermometer at home and 28 (20%) knew the normal range of body temperature. Correct preventive measures were
known to only 41 (29.2%). C o n c l u s i o n s : Parental fear of fever and febrile convulsion is a major problem with negative consequences affecting
daily family life. The most common immediate effect of the convulsion on the parents was fear of death and insomnia and fear of brain
damage.