PARENTAL PERSPECTIVES ON CHILDHOOD FEVER: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN A PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Background and objectives. Fever is one of the most common clinical symptoms of infectious diseases in chil­dren and represents a leading reason for parents to seek medical attention worldwide.

The aim of this study is to evaluate parents’ knowledge, attitudes, behaviours, and practices regarding fever in children at the Pediatric Emergency Department of the Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics (VUHSC).

Materials and methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Pediatric Emergency Depar­tment of VUHSC between December 2022 and March 2023. Parents or legal guardians of febrile children were invited to participate in the study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that assessed demo­graphic characteristics, parental knowledge of childhood fever, use of antipyretic medications, and healthcare-see­king behaviour. A total of 350 respondents participated in the study. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 28.

Results. The majority of respondents were mothers (81.1%). Parents frequently perceived hospital treatment as safer than home management (43.1%, p<0.001). Res­pondents with higher education levels were more likely to administer antipyretic medications at higher body tem­peratures compared with parents with lower education levels (p<0.001). More than half of parents sought medi­cal assistance within the first 24 hours after fever onset. Only 47.4% of children were evaluated by a primary care physician before presenting to the emergency department. Ibuprofen (38.6%) and the combination of ibuprofen and paracetamol (39.1%) were the most commonly used me­dications for fever reduction.

Conclusions. Key Contributions. This study provides novel data on parental knowledge, attitudes, and practi­ces regarding childhood fever in a Baltic tertiary care setting, where such evidence remains limited. It identi­fies firstborn status as a significant determinant of early healthcare-seeking behavior, with parents of firstborn children more likely to present to the emergency depar­tment within 24 hours of fever onset. The findings also reveal a paradoxical association between higher parental education and earlier emergency department utilization, despite more appropriate antipyretic use, highlighting that knowledge alone may not alleviate parental concern. Overall, parental misconceptions and anxiety remain prevalent and contribute to early healthcare-seeking be­haviour, stressing the need for targeted education and im­proved communication between healthcare professionals and parents to promote appropriate fever management and reduce unnecessary emergency department visits.