Abstract
Background and objective: Pain is a bothersome issue that is common among newborns and children of all ages. Pain can be managed using various pharmacological and/or non-pharmacological strategies, which can be delivered by healthcare providers or parents. The aim of this study is to assess the attitude of mothers toward their children’s pain and its management. Methods and materials: A descriptive cross-sectional web-based study was conducted using a developed self-reported questionnaire, from March 2018 to April 2018. Participants involved were Arabic-speaking mothers of children aged between 0 and 12. The data collected included pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment methodologies utilized to treat pain and the mothers’ attitude towards pain management. Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 25 was applied to analyze the data, and descriptive statistics were performed. Results: As per the results of this study, the most common site of children’s pain as reported by the mothers was mouth/throat (211; 52.9%), abdomen (199; 49.9%), followed by head (58; 14.5%), and finally, ears (69; 17.3%). The frequency of children’s pain, as stated by the mothers, was less than once a month (196; 49.1%), once in a month (137; 34.3%), and once in a week (48; 12%). The non-pharmacological methods used by mothers at home for the management of their children’s pain were as follows: letting them take rest or sleep (250; 62.6%), feeding them with fluids (228; 57.1%), applying cold packs (161; 40.4%), providing massage therapy (147; 36.8%), using warm packs (141; 35.3%), and taking them to play (119; 29.8%). Conclusion: The misconceptions about pediatric pain management among Saudi mothers that can affect the children’s quality of life are quite noticeable. Implementing educational and awareness programs about the management of child pain could play a major role in making the parents understand the impacts of their misconceptions.
Highlights
Pain is a bothersome issue that is common among newborns and children of all ages
Considering the importance of a mother’s role in pediatric pain management and the scarcity of information regarding their attitudes towards pain management and their appropriate use of analgesics, this study aims to assess the attitude of mothers toward their children’s pain and its management
64 (16%) of them felt that there is little need to worry about side effects of pain medication, while 117 (29.3%) of them felt that there is little risk of addiction when analgesics are given for pain
Summary
Pain is a bothersome issue that is common among newborns and children of all ages It accounts for more than 30% of the cases attended by pediatricians [1,2,3]. Several studies regarding practices utilized by healthcare providers in the management of children’s pain have been identified. The attention of research studies has shifted towards home management of children’s pain by their mothers. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 348 is because it is increasingly being noticed that a greater part of children’s pain is treated by their mothers at home [6]. Mothers solely take care of their children’s pain, their knowledge of and attitudes toward pharmacological management of their children’s pain has been reported to be low [7,8]. Considering the importance of a mother’s role in pediatric pain management and the scarcity of information regarding their attitudes towards pain management and their appropriate use of analgesics, this study aims to assess the attitude of mothers toward their children’s pain and its management
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