Clinical and Demographic Characteristics of Families Attending the Epilepsy, Neuromuscular, and Child Wellbeing Clinics.

Abstract

Background Neurological diseases entail a broad spectrum of disorders. Among such ailments are epilepsy and neuromuscular disorders which impose a substantial burden on children and their families. Ensuring adequate access to outpatient services is crucial for these children regardless of the subclinical specialty, and clinicians can better comprehend the caregivers' perspectives by being aware of their backgrounds which can be aided using epidemiological studies. Methods In June 2023, a cross-sectional study was carried out in pediatric neurology clinics at a tertiary care center. The study included all families with a child or more (14 years and younger) diagnosed with neurological disorders. The study adopted a three-section survey delivered to participants recruited using a non-probability sampling technique to achieve a 95% confidence interval with a 5% margin of error. Results A total of 821 families participated in this study. The mean age of respondents was 40.46±8.72 years. Of the affected children, there were 600 (73.08%) children following up with the general neurology and epilepsy clinics, 164 (19.98%) were following up with the neuromuscular disorders clinics, and 57 (6.94%) were following up with the neurogenetic clinics. Familial status had no association with the type of clinic the patient was following up with p=0.0054. Single respondents had a significantly higher prevalence of children with epilepsy (p<0.0001). Parents with a high school level of education or lower had a significantly greater prevalence of epilepsy clinic follow-ups (p=0.0048). Conclusion The findings of this study contribute to the assessment of prevalent neurological disorders in children and shed light on the family dynamics surrounding these conditions. Through statistical analysis, the study establishes connections between certain demographic and clinical traits and specific neurological disorders among pediatric patients and their families. The study emphasizes the importance of socio-economic and socio-clinical support in promoting child health in such cases. Similar research would offer a more accurate portrayal of the challenges faced by families in these circumstances.